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/~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\
| |
| Super Smash Brothers |
| Kirby FAQ |
| Version Final |
| 04/20/02 |
| |
| Author: me |
| |
\~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/
Thanks for dropping by and checking out my Kirby FAQ. In this FAQ, I hope to
help anyone who’s having trouble with or is interested in mastering Kirby,
one of the most popular and most talented characters in Super Smash Brothers.
I hope you enjoy this FAQ and if at all helps your playing with Kirby, I
guess it has done its job.
Also, what’s up with Kirby sucking in Melee? That’s just insane bad fortune.
Bastards at HAL.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Table of Contents:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Legal Stuff
2. Revision History <REPEALED>
3. Introduction to Super Smash Brothers <REPEALED>
4. Introduction to Kirby
5. How to play as Kirby
6. Basic Moves
7. Kirby's Special Moves
8. Items
9. Arenas
10. One Player Walkthrough
11. General Strategies
12. Tips & Tricks
13. Combos
14. Contact Info
15. Credits
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Legal Stuff
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This FAQ is Copyright. Don’t use it on your website. If you do, I won’t have
any real recourse, but I’ll find out who you are, and hurt you with bad
karma.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4. Introduction to Kirby
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you’ve never heard of Super Smash Brothers, or the Kirby's Dreamland
series for the Super Nintendo (where have you been all these years?!) then
you might not know about the awesome fighter that is Kirby. Kirby is an 8-
inch tall alien from a distant planet. While he’s small, round, cute, and
looks basically like a pink marshmallow, don’t underestimate his fighting
prowess. Easily one of the best, or even THE best, fighter in Super Smash
Brothers, Kirby can copy opponents’ abilities, drop like a brick onto any
unsuspecting opponents, and pull off a variety of other moves. Kirby is also
quick, especially when it comes to executing Smash Attacks, and has the
ability to pull off devastating combos. Being the puffy little guy that he
is, Kirby has six jumps, which gives him awesome aerial abilities and lets
him stay in the air for long periods of time.
The downside to Kirby’s puffiness is that, being light, Kirby can easily be
knocked off the stage. While his jumps will usually get him back up safely,
Kirby will hit the side and upper “boundaries” (meaning that he will die) at
a lower damage than most other characters.
However, Kirby’s few disadvantages are hugely outweighed by his advantages; a
Kirby mastered will be extremely hard to beat. Hopefully, this FAQ will give
you a nudge in that direction.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5. How to play as Kirby
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The key to playing well with Kirby is understanding his particular style.
Each character in Super Smash Bros. has his or her own style; while switching
between characters it’s important to switch styles, too. For example, you
wouldn’t want to use the same style you’d use for a quick, light, aggressive
fighter like Kirby, for a big, slow, powerful character like Donkey Kong.
The key to winning with Kirby is: stay on the offensive! This may sound
weird, considering that Kirby is knocked off easily and so you’d probably
want to not get into the mix too much. This kind of defensive playing is
actually better for beginners and intermediates, who need more time to
experiment with various moves and projectiles; however, staying away from the
action is a cue for experts to instantly focus their attacks on you. Since
Kirby has few defensive moves – his moves mostly are damage dealing or
launching moves, and he has few “keep-away” moves – you’ll want to stay on
the offensive. This is something that Kirby is good at; his drill kick and
Stone can affect many people and deal a lot of damage, and Kirby has a
variety of quick, damaging, and powerful moves. His dash and throw are also
quick moves that can catch an opponent by surprise. Kirby does not have any
one hugely powerful move, like DK’s Giant Punch or Falcon’s Falcon Punch;
however, Kirby is a character who utilizes his variety of moves to adjust to
almost any situation and keep his opponent guessing.
This is not to say that Kirby sucks at defense; he has a nice, quick roll
that is very handy in tight situations, and if prospects look dangerous you
can always take to the air. No character can equal the flight powers or
endurance of Kirby, with the exception of Jigglypuff, whose lack of a
functional Up, B comeback move makes her very vulnerable. If anyone tries to
challenge Kirby in the air, use Kirby’s floatiness and variety of aerial
moves to teach them a lesson.
Kirby’s biggest weakness, apart from his lightness, may be his low priority.
Priority is how a move will match up with another of similar strength; since
Kirby generally has low priority (remember, he is a marshmallowy guy) he will
sometimes be hit by the other move, even if he himself executes a move at the
same time. This is less apparent with Forward+A moves, but more apparent with
land vs. air or air vs. land attacks. The bottom line is that you use Kirby’s
speed, variety of moves, and combos, rather than his outright strength, to
win.
That’s a general overview for using Kirby. Keep in mind that some of what
I’ve said may seem weird at first; after all, it is my opinion, based on my
own experience. However, read the moves list and other parts of the FAQ, and
get some experience with Kirby, and you’ll probably see what I’m talking
about. There are other strategies for use against different opponents and in
individual arenas; I’ll cover some of them here, but experience is the best
teacher!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6. Basic Moves
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In case you are a total beginner at Super Smash Brothers, here is a _very_
basic control scheme. It’s not very complicated, but, then again, the
controls of SSB aren’t all that complicated either. Anyway:
/-----------------------------------------------------------------\
| |
| Control Stick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . move around |
| Tap Left/Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . dash (run) |
| C-buttons/Tap Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . jump |
| A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . normal attack/pick up item |
| B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . special attack |
| L . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . taunt |
| Z,A/R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . throw* |
| R + Control Stock Direction . . . . . . . . . . throw item |
| Z/Hold R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . block |
| Tap Left/Right while blocking . . . . . . . . . . . . roll |
| Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pause |
| |
\-----------------------------------------------------------------/
* When holding an item, you cannot use any throws, as you will end up
throwing away your item instead. You can, however, use projectiles (with the
exception of Link’s bomb).
NOTE: during this FAQ I will be referring to Control Stick directions as
Left, Right, Up, and Down. I will refer to the L and R shoulder buttons on
the controller as L and R. Don’t be thrown off because I sometimes use
Left/Right, and sometimes use L/R; they stand for different buttons.
When doing a special move, the control stick should be TILTED, or held in the
particular direction. When doing a smash attack, rolling, or dashing, the
control stick should be TAPPED – that is, forcefully tilted at the same time
as the corresponding button (if any) and very quickly let go. The
abbreviations:
, TILT and hold direction, then press button
+ TAP direction and tap the button simultaneously
Try varying your moves (this works especially well with Kirby) to make your
opponent stay on guard. If you can corner them, either throw them if they’re
blocking, or try to execute a combo. Corners are great places to execute
combos since the enemy will simply bounce off of the wall... into your hands
(Kirby plays tennis like an ace). If your opponent is blocking but has little
shield left, either execute a string of attacks (in hopes of breaking their
shields and making them momentarily dizzy) or throw them. If you’re really
sneaky, you might try hitting them by doing an attack that hits a part of the
body that their reduced shield doesn’t cover.
A last note: There is a difference between a move’s “damage” and its “power”.
Damage refers to how many percent damage it deals, and power refers to how
far it launches. While the power is usually proportional to the damage, and
vice versa, this is not always true. For example, some moves (like the Drill
Kick) do a lot of damage, but don’t launch the opponent far. Each move will
do its maximum damage (the damage that I’ve listed here) only if you use it
sparingly and only if you hit the opponent with the strongest part of the
move (this only applies to some moves). If you use a particular move two or
three times in a row, then that move’s damage dealt will decrease signifi-
cantly. Just another benefit of varying your moves.
===============================================
UNIVERSAL MOVES (ones that all characters have)
===============================================
---Block ~ Hold Z---
The character puts his or her shield up – you’ll now be immune to most
everything except throws. Obviously, this is an important move, so you’d
better master it.
---Roll ~ Hold Z, then tap Left/Right---
The character will roll quickly in the direction pressed. Holding Z
throughout the roll will make the character put up its shields immediately
after it has finished rolling. Handy for getting out of tight situations.
Rolling is absolutely crucial in close games, especially if you’re fighting
multiple opponents. Be sure that you are familiar with the characters’ rolls
– they vary in speed, distance, and coverage. Kirby has a short, quick, tight
roll that protects him well.
---Recover ~ hold Z after a knockdown---
How did I forget this one!? Anyway, if you’ve been knocked down (for example,
you’re landing after you’ve been launched by an attack), press Z as you land
to quickly flip over and recover. Pressing Z and tapping the control stick
will make you recover => roll. Very handy for blocking against subsequent
moves made by the aggressor. Also, if you’re landing from a hard aerial move
(for example, Link’s Down, A/aerial), you can tap (not hold) Z as you land to
recover and put up your shield immediately, instead of going through the
normal recovery animations.
---Dash ~ Tap Left/Right---
The character will start running in the direction you’ve tapped in. Press A
during a dash to execute a dashing attack, which is usually some sort of
lunging attack that has good range/priority and does moderate damage.
---Crouch ~ hold/tap Down---
The character will crouch down. There’s not much point in this, although the
animations are amusing. Kirby turns into a pink pancake. The only practical
effect that I know of is that some projectiles will pass over your head.
---Throw ~ R---
A throw is a very short to short-range move, depending on the character. It
will launch the opponent a moderate distance and do a moderate to good amount
of damage. Don’t underestimate throws, as they are unblockable and very handy
in tight situations. Each character has two different throws; the forward
throw is simply R, then tap R again (if you don’t tap R again, you’ll execute
the throw automatically after a few seconds). The backwards throw is R, then
Back.
You can also throw by pressing A while blocking. This is a good defensive
move as it can catch an opponent who is trying to get you into a combo (and
so is executing a flurry of moves) by surprise; block, wait for the opponent
to be in a recovery from a move, then press A to throw.
---Taunt ~ L---
Ah, saved the best for last.
The character will do a (usually) cute, annoying finishing pose, pissing the
hell out of opponents. Kirby’s taunt has him say, “HiiIIIi!” and wave his
arms around in an endearing manner. Fun to use and abuse. Just don’t use them
on people who are better fighters than you.
Note: Kirby’s taunt will also release any powers he has absorbed. This is
useful if you have a crappy power and you’d like to capture a better one.
==============
KIRBY’S MOVES:
==============
-----
LAND:
-----
---Tap ~ A; 3% damage---
Speed: good
Recovery: good
Damage: terrible
Power: terrible
Priority: average
Overall: crap
It sucks more than a White House intern. What more can I say?
---Double Tap Combo ~ A, A; 7% damage (3%, then 4%)---
Speed: good
Recovery: fair
Damage: poor
Power: terrible
Priority: fair
Overall: crap
Not useful.
---Flurry Punch (infinite combo) ~ Tap A repeatedly; 1%/hit---
Speed: good
Recovery: fair
Damage: varies (generally poor-average)
Power: terrible
Priority: good
Overall: poor
It’s cheap, annoying, and nothing makes you look more like a beginner. Plus,
you can inflict a ton of damage using other moves in the time it takes for
you to rack up damage from the infinite combo.
---Vertical Kick ~ Up, A; 14% damage---
Speed: good
Recovery: good
Damage: fair
Power: average
Priority: poor
Overall: good
It may come in handy in situations where speed is more important than brute
strength (it’s good in sudden-death situations). If someone’s doing an aerial
attack, block or use a stronger move to counter instead of this one, unless
you have very good timing. Good for setting up combos.
---Low Kick ~ Down, A; 8% damage---
Speed: good
Recovery: good
Damage: poor
Power: below average
Priority: poor
Overall: below average
Usually won’t help much; it does very little offensively.
---Spin Kick ~ Forward, A; 10% damage---
Speed: good
Recovery: good
Damage: average
Power: below average
Priority: poor
Overall: below average
Doesn’t do much by itself. However, this move can be somewhat effective if
you hit an opponent with it and immediately follow with a smash attack. Why?
Because the spin kick will send the opponent just a bit into the air – the
perfect height for say, a Lunge Kick or other smash attack. Plus, the spin
kick comes out pretty fast and can be surprising.
---Running Kick ~ Press A while dashing; 10% damage---
Speed: good
Recovery: below average
Damage: average
Power: below average
Priority: good
Overall: good
A pretty useful move: it has good range and comes out fast. Useful for
setting an opponent up for a combo.
---Flip Kick ~ Up + A; 16% damage---
Speed: average
Recovery: poor
Damage: good
Power: good
Priority: good
Overall: good
A good move, and one that can be repeated several times for a combo. The Flip
Kick is easy to incorporate into other combos – be creative. A successful
Flip Kick requires good timing so you’ll be able to hit your opponent on the
“bounce” – don’t expect your opponent to be just standing there, waiting for
you to flip kick them. Only thing is, it’s a bit slow, and most Down, A
aerial moves have better priority. Still, it’s still a valuable part of your
arsenal.
---Split Kick ~ Down + A; 18% damage---
Speed: very good
Recovery: average
Damage: good
Power: good
Priority: good
Overall: very good
Very useful, as it does good damage and comes out fast. Can be good as an
edge-guarding move. Use as a lower, quicker variation of the lunge kick, and
for setting up combos.
---Lunge Kick ~ Forward + A; 17% damage---
Speed: good
Recovery: fair
Damage: good
Power: very good
Priority: good
Overall: excellent
This, along with the drill kick, has to be Kirby’s most useful move. It comes
out fast, has good priority, is a good combo-er (and sets up opportunities to
connect with other moves) and has pretty good power. Its speed is its biggest
asset; repeat several times for an easy combo (30 - 50% or more), or mix with
other moves. This should be a staple of combos and your ground game.
---Piledriver ~ R; 13% damage---
Speed: good
Recovery: fair
Damage: average
Power: good
Priority: good
Overall: good
Get used to throwing – Kirby has nice throws with fair range (especially if
executed while dashing), and throws are one of the staples of Kirby’s game.
For example, if an opponent is blocking because they see a combo coming (or
if they’ve already been sucked into your combo and are blocking to stop any
additional hits), use your throw - it’s unblockable. Or, if someone does a
dashing attack (or any other move that takes a while to recover) against you,
block, then throw as they’re recovering. For his Piledriver, Kirby grabs the
opponent, goes up into the stratosphere (almost) and comes down, sending the
flying diagonally (upwards and forwards). You’d figure that the move would do
more damage, but oh well.
---Kirby Suplex ~ R then Back; 16% damage---
Speed: good
Recovery: fair
Damage: good
Power: average
Priority: good
Overall: good
Kirby will flip the opponent over his back, sending them flying. Good as a
damage raiser. As with his Piledriver, don’t be afraid to use this often.
----
AIR:
----
---Karate Kick ~ A; 15% damage---
Speed: good
Recovery: fair
Damage: average
Power: average-good
Priority: good
Overall: good
Useful as a way of hitting your opponent out further without compromising
much air time (it’s safer than spiking). This move is best when used as a
finisher, while the other character is jumping and trying to recover. Just
remember that most Up, B recovery moves will go through this move and hit
you.
---Spin Kick ~ Up, A; 8% damage---
Speed: good
Recovery: below average
Damage: poor
Power: poor
Priority: average
Overall: poor
Lots of people seem to like this move (the computer does) but I’ve never
found it to be anything more than annoying. It’s hard to time right, does
very little damage, and doesn’t send your opponent far at all. Plus, when you
reach the ground there’ll be a little recovery time, so you can’t use this
move to set up for a combo. Oh well – at least it looks cool.
---Drill Kick ~ Down, A; 3%/hit; up to 30% damage---
Speed: very good
Recovery: average
Damage: excellent
Power: poor
Priority: good
Overall: excellent
If you want to be even remotely good with Kirby, you’ll have to master this
move. This is great in combos, and deals some hefty damage (typical range is
from 18-24% damage, but if you’re good you can connect with the full 30%
pretty often). Not only is this good over land, but it’s great as a spiking
move (see “Tips and Tricks”) as anyone hit by this move over the air will
plunge downwards, and it will be very hard for them to recover. Since Kirby
has so many jumps, he is an excellent spiker. Utilize this move - a lot.
---Forwards Drill Kick ~ Forward, A; 3%/hit; up to 21% damage---
Speed: very good
Recovery: fair
Damage: good
Power: poor
Priority: average
Overall: good
Another drill kick, although not as useful as its downwards counter-part.
Why? Because it can’t spike, it doesn’t do as much damage, it doesn’t have
the duration of the downwards Drill Kick, it doesn’t have as good a priority,
and for some reason it seems harder to connect with (the range seems a bit
shorter). It’s still good, though.
If for some reason you’re desperate you can use this move between jumps to
gain a tad more air, but there aren’t many situations where this will be
necessary for Kirby. The helicopter sound effects are somewhat amusing
though.
---Backwards Kick ~ Back, A; 16% damage---
Speed: good
Recovery: fair
Damage: good
Power: fair
Priority: good
Overall: good
This move is often useful in the air for getting someone off of your back.
It’s also good for stealing KO’s. How? While you are trying to come back with
Kirby, and you’re facing land, back-kick anyone who’s behind you, trying to
recover. Not only will you not lose much airtime, but you’ll also be credited
with a KO, even if it was someone else who launched the player off the arena
in the first place.
However, for purely offensive purposes, I’d rely on the Karate Kick or one of
the Drills instead of this move.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7. Kirby's Special Moves
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These are Kirby’s trademark moves. There are three special moves for each
character; each character has an Up, B move, a Down, B move, and a B move.
Learn to use all of these well, as they are vital to your success as a Kirby
player. However, don’t neglect your normal moves in favor of these; while
Kirby’s special moves might look cooler, they are also more predictable
(especially Stone, which has a half-second or so start-up delay) and have
longer recovery times.
=======
Swallow ~ B, then B to copy; 5% damage
======= ~ B, then A to spit out; 10% damage
Kirby will inhale any character within a few feet in front of him. Once
swallowed, press B to copy the opponent, enabling you to use their B attack,
or press A to spit them out. Anyone hit by the unfortunate character being
spit out will take a good amount of damage and fly back pretty far; it’s a
good finishing move if you can catch another opponent off guard.
This move can be useful if you can suck in a character with a good B-move,
such as Donkey Kong, Samus, Captain Falcon, etc. However, I’ve noticed that
many Kirby players overuse their stolen attack, often with the attitude,
“I’ve got the attack, and I might as well use it while it lasts”. This can
often backfire as opponents will anticipate your moves and counter. Also, an
over-emphasis on that one move will limit your overall game, as all your
thoughts will be on connecting that one Giant Punch, Falcon Punch, Blaster
Shot, etc. Instead of viewing your B-attack as the focus of your game, just
think of it as a useful extension of it and work it into combos and
sequences, instead of working them into the move.
Note: a smash attack (especially at the hands of the copied opponent) will
often cause you to lose your power.
============
Final Cutter ~ Up, B; 13% damage
============ (the move has three parts of 8%, 2%, and 3% damage each)
Kirby will pull out his little sword thing, and jump up with his sword in his
hand (part 1); he’ll then come down, his sword creating a slight arc as he
somersaults to go from his up-phase to his down-phase (part 2); and finally,
his sword will send a little shockwave forward when he lands (part 3). In
Kirby’s case, as with most other characters, the Up, B move also serves as a
final jump, so if you can’t get back onto the platform with your regular
jumps, use your Final Cutter. Note that once you execute the Final Cutter,
you cannot do anything else until you touch land; thus, the Cutter should be
a move of last resort (except when used as a weapon).
Kirby’s Final Cutter is a good defensive move, as most characters will be
hit, or at best, trade hits, if they try to edge guard Kirby while he is
executing his Final Cutter. The Final Cutter is also an offensive weapon; if
someone is over the abyss, execute your Final Cutter as you are standing to
the side of them, so that Kirby will hit them right as he is somersaulting,
hitting them with the downwards arc of his sword and sending them straight
downwards (into the abyss). You can do this while still over land, since
Kirby’s “somersaulting” part of the Final Cutter has a little horizontal
arch. It takes a bit of practice, but it’s a deadly move, especially in
arenas with “gaps” where someone can fall to their doom (e.g. Saffron City).
As a Kirby player, I’d say your most important special is the Final Cutter. I
hear you saying, “What?! It only does 13% damage!” Yes, but it’s an important
recovery move with very good priority. It also sets up combos very well.
Finally, it’s an excellent spiker. Sure, it’s not as damaging as the Stone,
but it’s not as easily blocked or countered.
=====
Stone ~ Down, B; 20% damage
=====
Kirby will transform into a brick-like form, and drop like... well, like a
stone. Anyone in its way will be hit diagonally upwards and take a good 20%
damage (this is Kirby’s most powerful one-hit move, apart from spitting out
DK onto opponents). This is a very good move against computers and
beginners/intermediates, but experts will see this coming from a mile away as
it has some start-up delay while Kirby is transforming. Also, a good player
on the ground will often see your stone dropping and block, then throw you as
the stone hits the ground (you can be thrown while in stone form).
However, there are tactics you can use that will make stone much more
effective. Pressing B at any time during the time in which you’re stoned will
make you un-transform immediately. So, if you’ve hit the ground and a player
is running at you, trying to throw you, press B to un-transform faster. This
is also true if you’ve hit the ground and the stone is sliding down the ramp,
about to go off the edge of the arena. Also, if you see anyone blocking and
waiting as you are dropping, press B in mid-air to untransform, and execute a
drill-kick or another combo, either hitting them or forcing them to block and
setting up a combo. If you have quick fingers, you can actually execute
stone, untransform (at which point your opponent may stop blocking and try to
attack you or counter you) and then execute stone again, surprising your
opponent. Oh, and one last thing: the stone can defend against anything other
than Electrode’s blast, repeated hammer blows or throws. This means it’s
basically an unlimited shield against all other moves and projectiles. So, if
you see, say, an Arwing coming at you, instead of blocking and getting your
shield broken, use stone instead. This also applies to some Pokemon (the
stone can guard against Snorlax’s coming-down move). Just remember that you
can be thrown while you’re in stone. Also, keep in mind that stone only lasts
about three seconds or so on the ground.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
8. Items
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are many items in Super Smash Bros., and they do a nice job of further
spicing up the action. Some are very cool and require lots of skill and/or
strategy to use; others are just plain cheap. There are lots of items to
choose from, so whether you like the heavy-hitting baseball bat, the cool,
Star Wars-esque Beam Sword, the delightfully devious Motion Sensor Bombs, or
something else, you’ll probably have the item you want.
When you first get the game, you won’t be able to choose items; they’ll be
set on default (all items, Medium occurrence). However, play 50 multiplayer
games, and you’ll earn Item Switch, which lets you turn on and off any and
all items. It also lets you choose from None, Very Low, Low, Medium, High,
and Very High levels of occurrence. This’ll make battles more interesting, as
you can turn off the items you don’t want, and leave the rest at Very High
occurrence, or do whatever suits your fancy.
Thanks to Ken Lawler for pointing out the items that originated from Kirby
games.
---Crates/Barrels/Chansey Eggs/Capsules---
These are the containers found in Super Smash Brothers. True to their name,
they contain from one to three items, with the crates and barrels usually
carrying two or three items and the Chansey eggs or capsules carrying one
item. Crates and barrels are slow, and you cannot move while holding one
(unless you’re DK), while Chansey Eggs and capsules are fast. I don’t really
recommend using the crate or barrel as a weapon, as it takes too long and
leaves you vulnerable. The easiest way to open a crate or barrel is to smash
attack it; just remember that a container may be booby-trapped with a rather
powerful explosive, so be careful. Capsules are handy for throwing at
opponents. Impsrage mentions that you can pick up Chansey Eggs if you stand
right on top of them; silly me for forgetting.
---Beam Sword---
~From Kirby’s Dream Land 2 (Game Boy)
A powerful, glowing sword (aka lightsaber) that enables you to do quick
thrusts and parries as well as powerful swipes. Learn to use it, as it can
easily turn the tide of a battle. It’s handy for throwing, too.
---Home Run Bat---
True to its name, the Home Run Bat will send any opponent out of the arena,
should they be hit by a smash attack from it. This applies no matter how much
damage they have, the only exception being if the opponent “bounces”
repeatedly into walls or obstacles on the way up. Most good players will see
this coming from a mile away, so if you’re facing good players, throw the bat
and catch them off guard; you probably won’t catch them with a Homer, and in
other attacks the bat does little damage.
---Hammer---
Anyone who picks up a hammer will immediately be sent into a clobbering
frenzy, where they’ll keep hammering with the hammer for ten to fifteen
seconds. Get hit by the hammer and you’ll sustain 30% damage and fly upwards;
two or three hits will kill you. It’s not hard to see why this item is so
cheap. A stone or a strong attack from below (you better have good timing to
try with the attack from below; Stoning is a bit easier) will usually knock
the hammer out of the opponent’s hands, giving you an opportunity to grab it.
---Fan---
The fan is very weak; even a smash attack from it will only do 8% damage, and
less if you use the fan too much. Its primary function lies in its power to
combo and break shields. One smash attack from a fan will break most shields,
at which point the opponent will be dizzy and vulnerable for a few seconds.
Take advantage of them at this point (not in _that_ way, you pervert!). The
fan is also good for almost-infinite combos, since it has a great vacuum
effect.
---Motion Sensor Bomb---
Remember those Proximity Mines from GoldenEye, the ones we all love to hate?
Of course you do! Well, these are the same things. Pick ‘em up, and throw
them somewhere. In a few seconds, they’ll become active, and from then on
whoever steps on them... KABOOM! Place them in dark corners, on the very
sides of arenas (good for players trying to come back... hehe) or places
where they blend into the surroundings. Use them strategically – taunt an
opponent till they come after you, not knowing that a proxy mine is between
you and them; place them on the clouds on Yoshi’s Island; put them right next
to valuable items; whatever. As you are playing, listen for the “thblapp”
sound of a proxy mine being placed; conversely, if you’re the one placing
them, talk or distract your opponents so they won’t hear you placing the
mine. Be careful not to pull a “Dubya” and step on one of your own mines.
---Bumper---
It’s just a little circular thing emblazoned with the “cross” logo that’s
everywhere in Super Smash Brothers. Throw it and it will implant itself
somewhere. If it hits someone while it’s in the air, that player will receive
slight damage and fly back a bit. While the bumper is on the ground, whoever
hits it will receive a whopping 1% damage and fly a good five feet.
It’s crap.
---Pokeball---
Throw it and a Pokemon will be unleashed. The Pokemon will come out, do its
thing, and disappear. The best way to use the Pokeball is to throw it at
somebody. The Pokeball’ll hit them, and when they get up, the Pokemon that
comes out will unleash its attack for a one-two punch. Note that you cannot
kill the Pokemon; if you try, their bodies will only damage you (the wild
Charmander and Chansey that appear in Saffron City are the exceptions; they
can be killed with a smash attack or Stone). The Pokemon range from useless
to extremely damaging, and include (Thanks to Ken Lawler for the names of the
Pokemon’s attacks, and I’m sorry if I missed anything or made mistakes; I’m
not really into Pokemon):
=======
Beedril Substitute
=======
An initial Beedril will come out (the initial one is the most powerful), and
then a whole swarm of Beedril will follow, dealing 12% per hit. If you’re
caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, it could be painful – hope
you’re not allergic!
=========
Blastoise Hydro Pump
=========
A big turtle thing; it comes out and shoots rays of water. One of the Pokemon
whose attacks can’t be reflected. Anyway, while the attack won’t do much
damage, it can be useful for edge guarding. Blastoise will slowly back away
with each shot it fires, and often falls off the edge before it disappears.
=======
Chansey Softboiled
=======
A cute little ...thing... that comes out and sends out several eggs. They can
be thrown or broken open to reveal an item. (see “Chansey Egg”, above.)
=========
Charizard Fire Spin
=========
A great dragon (or whatever it is) that comes out and spews fire in both
directions. The body itself is quite harmful and will dish out lots of
damage, so stay away. Also stay away from the fire, obviously. One of the
best Pokemon to get.
========
Clefairy Metronome
========
A Pokemon that will come out, and imitate another Pokemon. Its attack will be
similar to that of the Pokemon it imitates (Clefairy will behave like the
Pokemon it’s imitating when it comes out of the Pokeball; look carefully so
you know which one it’s imitating), except that the attack will be shorter
but come quicker.
=======
Goldeen Splash
=======
It’s supposed to be a fish, or something like that. It just flops around
pathetically for a while. It can’t damage anyone.
=========
Hitmonlee Hi Jump Kick
=========
Oops, forgot this one. Thanks to Ken Lawler for pointing it out.
He comes out kicking – literally. Hitmonlee will try to karate kick whoever’s
closest to him (although he has no qualms about hitting other characters who
happen to be in his way). He has fairly good range, so be careful. Execute
Stone to protect yourself from him.
======
Meowth Pay Day
======
Potentially, the best Pokemon. It spews streams of coins, each coin doing 3%
damage, which is absolutely incredible when you consider that there are
several coins in each stream, and that Meowth is spewing out four streams of
coins (in each direction) at all times. Ouch. Luckily, Kirby is light, and
will usually be batted away with the first few coins. With big, fat
characters, who might even get stuck right under Meowth, the damage can
seriously mount up.
===
Mew Teleport
===
A very rare Pokemon, Mew comes out and glitters nicely, slowly rising to the
sky. It does not do any damage, as far as I know, but it will distract
Pokefreaks. While they’re distracted, bash them.
====
Onix Rock Slide
====
A huge rock snake, whatever that is. It shoots upward to the sky, doing heavy
damage and usually killing whoever’s in its upwards path. It then sends a
stream of boulders downwards in a small section of the arena, which do pretty
good damage and can occasionally cause a heavily-damaged player to “ascend to
heaven”, as each successive boulder knocks the player further upward.
=======
Snorlax Body Slam
=======
A big fat Pokemon, Snorlax will rise to the top of the screen and then come
down a few seconds later, only immensely fattened (and very pixilated – the
developers used the same sprite for both forms of Snorlax). Stone will
protect you from becoming “an album cover”, if you get the reference.
=======
Starmie Swift
=======
It’ll come out, and home in on the nearest player, flying until it’s
sufficiently close and at the same level as that player. It will then send a
stream of... yes, stars, towards that player, each of which will do 3%
damage. The easiest way to escape Starmie is to simply fly up (especially
easy with Kirby) or drop down to another level. Crouching with Kirby will
turn him into a pancake, which will also dodge the shots.
---Bo-bomb---
It’s just your standard little bomb. Only twist is, leave it alone for five
seconds or so, and it’ll start walking around. Anyone who touches it will
detonate it, and if no one hits it within five or so seconds if it walking
around, it will stop, start flashing, and detonate itself. If you pick the
Bo-bomb up, it will no longer have a time fuse, but a strong attack will
detonate it in your hands (Link is particularly good at doing this). Whoever
the Bo-bomb hits will definitely need a band-aid.
---Red Shell---
Pick it up and throw it, and on whatever platform it lands, it will travel
back and forth. It won’t skip platforms, and as it can’t travel through the
air, it won’t fall down onto another platform. It’ll just move along that one
platform at a pretty good speed, homing in on players and doing 10% damage.
Not too useful, except to occasionally edge-guard weak jumpers.
---Green Shell---
Pick it up and throw it at someone. Depending on with how much force you
throw it (press A to throw it weakly, Forward, A to throw it with some force,
and Forward+A to throw it with pretty good speed), it will either land and
stay there, or keep rolling for a while. Unlike the red shell, the green
shell will fall off platforms. The green shell will do a pretty good amount
of damage (even when it’s just rolling slowly on the ground), so be careful
if you see one thrown at you. Also, don’t throw the green shell into walls or
obstacles, as it may bounce back and hit you.
---Ray Gun---
Pick it up, and shoot someone with its lightning fast shots. Note how each
shot knocks the other player back and up a little bit, right in line for the
next shot... hmmm, since you have sixteen shots, you might as well... y’see,
that’s why this weapon is so cheap.
---Star Rod---
~From Kirby’s Adventure (NES)
One of the most underrated weapons in the game. The Star Rod can be used to
hit people, much like a sword, only not quite as powerful. The cool thing is,
though, execute a strong/smash attack, and in addition to a powerful swipe of
the Rod, it will send out a star that will do pretty good damage if it hits
someone. The Star Rod holds twenty stars, which is a lot; if you do run out,
though, you can still use it as a clobbering weapon.
---Fire Flower---
The Fire Flower sends streams of fire at your opponent. Each time you press A
(keep in mind that there is a slight start up delay) it will fire a nasty
stream of fire. Now take into account that the Fire Flower has a vast
depository... KFC, anyone? In fact, if you can corner someone and you keep
blasting away with it, they’ll easily sustain 100% + damage. Shielding
doesn’t work much, as the steady stream of fire will not let you put your
shield down, until it breaks or you’re hit by the fire. The fire flower can
also be thrown at an opponent, inflicting moderate damage. Basically, just
stay away from anyone who’s got this item.
---Maxim(um) Tomato/Heart---
I never really liked Healing items, mostly since they seem a bit unfair.
Anyway, eat a Maxim Tomato and up to 100% of your damage will be taken away.
The heart is the same as a Maxim Tomato, except it will take off all your
damage. Ugh, yuck. Basically, these two items give you health.
---Star---
It renders you invincible. Too bad it only lasts around ten seconds, a bit
too little to be very effective.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9. Arenas
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are eight arenas that you can play in in Multiplayer, plus a few other
one-player only arenas. There’s also a hidden arena. Anyway, you should know
about the arenas themselves, their layout, dangers, helps, and other
miscellaneous info. The arenas vary widely in size, as well as in layout:
some float, some are actually made of a series of rooftops, and some are on
the ground. Anyway, I’ll rate each arena’s size, its fun level (out of five),
and how it suits Kirby, as well as tell you of any hazards/helps in the
arena. I’ll also give a (not-so) brief description. Happy?
==============
Peach’s Castle
==============
Size: medium
Fun: ***
Kirby Rating: **
Hazards: Bumper
Helps: Moving platform, Ramps
Well, it’s a medium sized floating arena, with the real Peach’s Castle in the
background. The main platform is rather short, with two little rope bridges
leading off to each side. Below the main platform – and you can drop down to
it or jump up from it – is a smaller platform, which is handy for unleashing
surprise attacks on those on the upper platform (most Up+A or Up, B moves
will hit a person on the platform above you). At the bottom of the arena
there is a moving platform that’s quite long (longer than the arena itself).
The platform moves left and right across the arena, and can be useful if
you’re trying to get back onto land and it is on your side of the arena.
Above the main platform of the arena is a bumper that slowly moves in a short
left-right path; while it only does 1% damage when you hit it, it is quite
annoying and can break up your moves. This is especially true with Kirby, who
possesses many vertical moves (his jumps, drill kick, final cutter, stone,
etc. can all be screwed up by the bumper). The bumper also restricts aerial
movement and makes it a bit harder to get around. Not a big deal, but it’s
there, and it’s annoying. To both sides of the bumper are two ramps; these do
nothing other than slow down your flight if you get knocked onto them. They
can sometimes come in handy, since they can prevent you from flying straight
out of the arena.
Perhaps the largest problem is the fact that the bumper and the ramps make it
very hard for someone to die from the horizontal boundaries (since opponents
are often stopped by those obstacles). The moving platform also makes it hard
to spike, making this arena not a good one for Kirby. I often get annoyed in
this arena since it seems that a big part of Kirby’s mobility is taken away,
but it’s good for some other characters.
==============
Yoshi’s Island
==============
Size: medium
Fun: **
Kirby Rating: ***
Hazards: None
Helps: Clouds
This disturbingly “happy” arena is small, but there is one cloud to the left
of the arena and two clouds to the right. The second cloud on the right is
quite a distance from the arena; not only does this extend the right boundary
(making it harder for a character to die), it also gives characters coming
back a chance to get back on. Beware, though, since the clouds will disappear
about three seconds after someone steps on them, so if you feel like simply
shying away from the action by hiding on the clouds (not advised – all
characters can get onto the clouds; some, like Kirby, just have an easier
time doing so) you’ll have to constantly jump to avoid the clouds
disappearing at your feet. If a cloud does disappear, it will reappear
several seconds later.
Anyway, Yoshi’s Island is fashioned in the shape of Yoshi’s Storybook (how
cute!). The main platform is shaped like a book – lower in the middle and
higher at the sides – with little platforms above the main platform and a
longer platform at the top. Pretty standard stuff. Usually, the only reason I
play in Yoshi’s Island is to have fun with the clouds – put proxies on them,
taunt from them, whatever. Still, the arena’s pretty good for Kirby, since
the clouds make for lots of aerial action.
Note: there is one good trick that you can do with Kirby (actually with any
character, but Kirby does it easiest) relating to the clouds on this level.
It’s pretty funny and I guarantee it’ll work the first time, and probably
many times after that. See “Tips and Tricks” for details.
============
Congo Jungle
============
Size: small
Fun: **
Kirby Rating: **
Hazards: None
Helps: Barrel
Well, its got a remix of the classic DK music, but even that is a little
restrained and not as catchy as the real tune. The rest of the level is also
rather bland. Amongst a nice jungle background, with birds in the distance,
is a relatively small stage. The stage has a main platform, which is not
uniform in height (it rises at the ends). Above the main platform are two
little platforms, on either side, that are tilted downwards. In the middle of
arena there are a couple of floating platforms that go around in a loop.
The problem is that this arena is quite small, and the platforms limit aerial
moves, so you (and every other character) will have to rely mostly on ground
attacks. Kirby has good attacks, but his arsenal of moves is shortened a bit.
One good thing is that you can actually jump off the stage, and jump back up
through the bottom of the stage, surprising some people. Another good thing
is the fact that there’s a barrel moving left and right below the stage, so
if you can’t quite make it back onto the stage, you can always try for the
barrel. Note that you can’t stay in the barrel too long, or it will spit you
out, in a random direction (read: straight downward). The barrel seems to
benefit other characters more than Kirby, since Kirby has good enough flight
ability to need the barrel only very rarely.
==========
Dream Land
==========
Size: small
Fun: ****
Kirby Rating: *****
Hazards: Tree
Helps: None
Now we’re talking! Welcome to Dream Land, the home of Kirby. It’s the
smallest arena in Super Smash Brothers, and it’s a rather plain one at that.
It’s a little island with a nice path going through it, as well as a pond and
some pretty flowers. There are three platforms, two near each end of the
arena and one higher platform in the middle. The only other feature is that
tree from the Kirby games (I forget its name) that blows characters... off
the arena, that is. Actually, it’s very weak and does very little to impact
the game.
However, don’t judge the arena to be bad because of its small size and simple
layout. It’s definitely one of the best in the game. Not only is it fun, but
its small size and plain layout guarantees all-out fighting, with no hiding
or running away. Beginners mightn’t like this, but it’s heaven for experts
who want a serious battle. Plus, the music is very cool, kind of bouncy and
cute, but not too cute. Just like Kirby.
This arena is very good for Kirby. There’s plenty of room above the platforms
for aerial attacks, and the small size guarantees a lot of blocking, rolling,
nasty combos, edge-guarding, and spiking, all of which Kirby excels at.
=============
Hyrule Castle
=============
Size: large
Fun: *****
Kirby Rating: ****
Hazards: Tornado
Helps: None
Another one of my favorite stages. In fact, almost everyone, regardless of
who they play as, likes this stage. Why? Simply, because it’s a good looking
stage that’s well designed, has a nice background, and offers different
venues of fighting.
Hyrule Castle is a stage where you’re basically fighting on the roof of a
castle. I would have liked it if there were parapets and towers and what not,
but instead you’ve got more of a linear stage. A few spiked towers are there
for cosmetic purposes in the foreground, and forests and streams can be seen
in the background, far below the castle. (This is probably one of the coolest
and most impressive backgrounds. Zoom in while you are jumping in the air for
an even better effect.)
Anyway, on the far-left part of the stage is a little sloping roof that drops
off a bit from the main platform of the stage. It’s a good place for Kirby to
be, as it’s good for aerial stuff and edge-guarding. The main platform is to
the right, and is just a moderately long stretch of flat ground. In the
middle of the main platform is a tower (it’s actually only there in the
background – it can’t be interacted with) with platforms going up; jump up
onto the upper platform and you’ll get items (it’s one of the places where
many items seem to appear), as well as be in a good position for jumping and
launching aerial attacks. To the right of the main platform is another small
platform, which also drops down from the main platform. At the place where
the right platform drops from the main one, a little wall is formed, perfect
for “playing tennis” and executing ground based combos. In the middle of this
platform is a small tower, which can be interacted with (i.e. you can go
through it, jump up onto it, etc.) A sneaky place to put mines is in the dark
spot underneath the tower.
So that’s the layout. Overall, it’s a cool arena, and a good one for
beginners and experts alike. It offers many cool places to fight and use
items, so if you’re an item-phile, seek out Hyrule. One last thing: there is
a tornado that periodically appears for a while on any of the three main
platforms; stay away from it or you’ll be thrown high (sometimes too high)
and take damage. It usually moves slowly, but sometimes erratically speeds up
– a real pain. It will kill Kirby at only 85% damage or so, so be careful!
========
Sector Z
========
Size: very large
Fun: *****
Kirby Rating: ****
Hazards: Arwing
Helps: None
Another great arena. You’re fighting in (a strangely oxygen-rich sector of)
outer space, on the top of Great Fox (Fox’s starship). The arena is huge, and
spans from the front of Great Fox’s spine through to its tail and the little
section after its tail. In the background is a big nebula of sorts, as well
as stars and some floating crap. (Leftover debris from failed NASA missions?)
The main platform at the left, the spine of the ship, is very long and
slightly slanted upwards, good for all-out fighting and item using. The main
platform slopes up into the tail, which drops down onto a small, lower
platform. This lower platform is a cool place for Kirby to be because, as in
Hyrule Castle, you can use the wall formed by the tail to play tennis with
other characters (except the other characters aren’t playing with you –
they’re being played by you and the wall, if you know what I’m saying). Also,
drop off of the tail and you’ll have plenty of air space to perform cool
combos (this applies to the whole stage).
The hazard in this stage is the Arwing, a little plane that zooms by every
now and then. It flies horizontally across either of the two platforms (the
main platform and the little tail platform) and starts shooting the heck out
of anyone in its way, using its front-mounted laser blasters. Each laser shot
does 16% damage, and, since two shots come out at the same time, you’ll
probably be hit by both and receive a good 32% damage. Ouch. If you block,
your shield will be broken after only two volleys of shots (the Arwing fires
a total of four volleys, or eight shots per appearance) so it’s better to use
Stone to guard. Still, it’s better to be shield broken than dead, although
sometimes if you get shield broken you’ll die anyway, since you’ll be
launched onto the Arwing and then flown off into oblivion.
The Arwing also does quick diving attacks, where it quickly (and without
warning) flies across the screen, targeting characters and launching blaster
shots at them. If you hear the sound of the blasters being fired, quickly
jump (I don’t think Stone works against these shots, and you definitely
cannot block them with Kirby’s shield). Be careful – the Arwing is by far the
most dangerous stage hazard (maybe the lava is more dangerous, but you get
plenty of warning beforehand).
============
Planet Zebes
============
Size: medium-large
Fun: *****
Kirby Rating: ***
Hazards: Acid
Helps: Vertically moving platform
A lotta people hate this stage. They complain that the acid screws up their
playing, and the stage sucks because you can’t really spike, and overall the
stage is too hard. Well, screw ‘em. This stage has to be one of the most fun
stages in the game. Maybe not the most fair – if you had a dispute over who’s
a better player, this might not be your preferred stage – but definitely one
of the most challenging and fun.
Planet Zebes is home of Samus Aran. It’s a little floating world, with a sea
of acid below. The acid can actually help, because if you fall off the stage
and you can’t get back on, at least you won’t fall to your death: you will be
singed by the acid, but not necessarily killed by it (although you can fall
to your death if you are invincible or use Kirby’s Stone move – thanks to
Impsrage for reminding me). The only complication is, that the acid has a
habit of moving up and engulfing the stage at the most inopportune times
(e.g.. when you’re fighting). So, when you fight on Zebes, don’t just pay
attention to your opponents; also pay attention to the acid, because at 16%
damage a hit, it hurts. Luckily, the acid gives you fair warning; whenever
it’s about to rise, the planet rocks back and forth, an indication for
everyone to scramble onto the highest platforms. Of course, this is when the
fighting gets... interesting, with everyone trying to kill everyone else, but
still trying to stay on. Note that the acid can rise anywhere from just a few
feet to the level where it practically engulfs the stage; however, it never
rises to the highest platform, so seek refuge there. Lastly, there’s a moving
platform to the right of the arena that goes up and down. It may be risky to
stay on it, but at least you’ll avoid all the other players scrambling to
that one top platform.
============
Saffron City
============
Size: large
Fun: ****
Kirby Rating: *****
Hazards: Wild Pokemon
Helps: Vertically moving platforms
This is one of the more... unique arenas. Basically, you’re fighting on
several rooftops, some being rather small, and some (like the main “platform”
in the middle) being of medium size. As usual, there are abysses on both
sides of the arena, but there are also gaps between the buildings, where you
can also fall to your doom. Undoubtedly, this is good spiking country for
Kirby.
There are some vertically moving platforms on the left of the arena (buoyed
up by fans from the buildings... cool!) that add an element of luck to your
recovery. On the right side of the arena is just a little rooftop, painted
out to be a helipad, from which you can have immense amounts of fun spiking
and edge guarding. One of the most important features of the stage is the
Pokemon. Yes, Pokemon in their home stage – who would have expected it?
Anyway, wild Pokemon will pop out of that little box on the main platform,
surprising (and usually damaging) whoever’s nearby. You’ll get some warning,
though, because the door will open and light will shine through a few seconds
before the Pokemon pop out. Oh yeah, the Pokemon can also be triggered by
some retard walking into the door. Anyway, the Pokemon are:
-------
Chansey Softboiled
-------
Throws a few eggs onto the main platform. Yummy, protein! Also, if you walk
into the door while Chansey is there, and touch Chansey, you’ll recover by
5%. Hey, y’never know, it might just come in handy. (Note: this only applies
to the wild Chansey.) After you’ve recovered, thank Chansey... by smash-
attacking it out of the box.
----------
Charmander Flamethrower (if no flames, Tackle)
----------
Whatever it is, it comes out, sometimes blasting a stream of fire that will
do moderate damage. If it doesn’t blast fire, its body will still do
damage... although you can change that by smash-attacking the stupid Pokemon
and sending him flying.
---------
Electrode Self-Destruct
---------
A bomb of some sorts. It comes out, shakes for a few seconds, and explodes,
doing a lot of damage to whoever’s nearby. Note that shields (including
Kirby’s Stone) cannot protect you from Electrode, so if you see him, run
away. Careful - the blast radius is greater than you might think.
Note: Van Beethoven informs me that some shields actually do protect you from
Electrode. Thanks for the tip.
-------
Porygon Sharpen & Tackle
-------
Similar to Charmander/Venosaur’s Tackle move, except stronger. Porygon bursts
out with much pomp to surprise anyone who’s trying for a Chansey or other
benign Pokemon.
--------
Venosaur Solarbeam (if no blasts, Tackle)
--------
Comes out, shoots “blasts of solar energy” (actually, they look more like
greenish crap to me, but what do I know about Pokemon). Hmmm... hope you’ve
got sunscreen! It does some damage to and annoys whoever’s hit. As with
Charmander, its body also does damage to anyone who’s hit.
===============================
Mushroom Kingdom (secret arena)
===============================
Size: medium-large
Fun: *****
Kirby Rating: ***
Hazards: Piranha Plants
Helps: Tubes
Well, if this doesn’t make you nostalgic, nothing will. It’s the old Super
Mario Bros. all over again, with its piranha plants (emerging from those
classic green tubes, of course), POW block (hit it and anyone on land gets
thrown up and takes 20% damage) and balancing scale on the middle (don’t stay
too long, or the scale will tip over). Even the background, with paratroopers
bouncing on spring blocks, is a trip to the past.
Other unique parts of the arena include the fact that you cannot fall off,
except for the middle gap, which has the balancing scale over it. Even the
balancing scale gives ample warning that it’s about to drop, so very few
(human) players will drop off in this arena. Unfortunately, the balancing
also makes it a little hard for Kirby to spike successfully. Other cool
things are the piranha plant tubes. Press Down while standing over them (of
course, while the piranha plants aren’t popped up) and you’ll transport to
the second tube. That, or the sewer tube, that leads out in the middle of one
of the sides of the gap. Don’t worry, though, since it’s easy to jump back up
onto the stage (especially with Kirby). Just think of the tubes as a creative
way to escape an attacker, or at least gain time. Another cool part of the
level is to the bottom left of it; there is an overhanging wall covering that
whole section of level – perfect for combos.
Take advantage of the POW block, which is quite powerful (anyone upwards of
80% damage or so is liable to be killed). Since even Level 9 CPUs won’t
deliberately go for the POW block (they can hit it with a freak move,
though), if you are playing with computers, take your time and wait till all
the compies are on the ground before hitting the POW block.
Finally, one last note, in case you’re a bit dull: you can kill yourself if
you walk too far to the left or right – so be careful.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
10. One-player Walkthrough
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Super Smash Bros. is meant to be a multi-player game. Hell, even if you’re
alone, you can play multiplayer with the computer-controlled opponents.
Because of this, the one-player mode is neither as fun, nor as replayable, as
the multiplayer; however, it’s still not bad, and if you’re good at Smash
Bros. and you’re looking for a challenge, try getting high scores in single
player (or low times on the bonus rounds). And, you’ll have to beat single
player under various conditions to get the hidden characters and access
secret stuff, so, like it or not, you’ll at least have to play through the
one-player mode a few times.
The one-player mode is made of fourteen different stages, each with one or
more opponents. Sometimes, you will have allies, too. The object of the one-
player game is to survive (obviously) to the end of the quest, and pick up
points along the way. You can choose between five difficulties:
=============================================================================
Very Easy: Recommended for temporarily blind players.
Easy: You might have to actually pick up your controller on this mode.
Normal: The equivalent of the “Easy” setting on most games.
Hard: A challenge, to say the most. Try this after you’ve trained a
bit or have played the CPU a little.
Very Hard: If you’re pretty good at this game, this difficulty won’t be too
bad. It’s no cakewalk, but it’s definitely not Perfect
Agent, either.
=============================================================================
You also have to choice of setting your stock (lives) from one to five;
obviously, you’ll have an easier time if you set the stock to five. There is
no penalty for doing this, so it’ll always benefit you if you set your stock
higher (unless you’re solely trying to challenge yourself). If you use up all
of your lives (shame on you), you can always continue, but your score will be
cut in half.
Speaking of your score, you get points for the amount of time left on the
timer (which is set to 5:00 for each stage), the amount of damage inflicted
on your opponent, and special bonuses. You can get special bonuses for using
only a few particular moves (Hawk if you only use aerial moves, Judo Warrior
if you use only throws, Smash-less if you don’t use smash attacks, etc.), for
beating a stage under 30 seconds, for killing multiple opponents in order,
and for pure luck/coincidence (you get a bonus if the opponent kills
him/herself without you hitting them; you also get a bonus if your opponent
dies just before you are about to). With these special bonuses, you can get
your score to around 1.5 million points (the highest I’ve heard of is 1.5 to
2 million). With Kirby, I can score around 1.4 million if I’m very lucky and
get a lot of bonuses. Some of the bonuses are mostly luck, so even if you
play with the goal of trying to get a good score, and play well, without luck
you’ll probably only get around 1.2 million points.
Anyway, for this walkthrough, I’ll be concentrating mostly on survival and
playing well, rather than luck and special bonuses. However, if there is a
particularly valuable or notable special bonus in a stage, I’ll tell you
about it. Also, the five numbers to the right of each stage name are the
difficulties of that stage, on a scale from 1 to 5. There are five numbers,
one for each difficulty level (the left-most number represents the Very Easy
difficulty, the second-from-left number represents the Easy difficulty,
etc.).
Note: the first two bonuses only have one number because the difficulties
remain constant throughout all the levels.
On with the walkthrough!
=========
I. Link (1, 1, 1, 2, 2)
=========
If you can’t beat Link, you should just throw your N64 out your window and
try something that requires (even) less brainpower than this does – for
example, watching soap operas, wrestling, running for the Republican
Presidential nomination and RIGGING THE ELECTION (oops, did I say that
aloud?), etc. Anyway, all you really have to do is attack Link and get him to
the edge, where he’ll basically self-destruct. On the easier difficulties you
can just keep using throws to get Link to the left edge of Hyrule Castle,
then throw him right as he is about to execute his comeback move. Then he’ll
simply plummet down to his doom, and you’ll net a very good amount of awards:
No items, Smash-less, Judo Warrior (since you used only throws), No Miss X 1
(you haven’t died yet), No Damage, Full Power, Speedster (for completing the
level in under 30 seconds), and Fighter Stance (if you taunt just as Link
dies), among others. On the harder difficulties, you’ll have to use a variety
of attacks, but just concentrate on killing Link in under 30 seconds without
being hit. Again, throws play a large role. Even on Very Hard, it’s not
challenging.
================
II. Yoshi Team (1, 1, 1, 2, 2)
================
Uh-oh, it’s a whole shitload of Yoshies, and they’re coming to get you! Big
challenge, right? Wrong. This is the second-easiest stage, apart from Link’s.
These Yoshies are incredibly incompetent (hmmm... remind me of Dubya) and do
nothing but jump around. Plus, they’re also extremely weak. The quickest way
to take ‘em out is actually to use Kirby’s aerial Up, A move; the spin, while
doing only 8% damage at the most, will send one of these Yoshies flying out
of the arena. Kill the Yoshies in order (as they drop down from the stage –
look at the Yoshi Team stock-meter at the upper-left of the screen, or the
damage count at the bottom of the screen, to see which colored Yoshi is the
“next”, if you forget) and you’ll get Yoshi Rainbow, which gives you a good
fifty grand of points. Be careful, though, because accidents happen: it’s
hard _not_ to kill a Yoshi since they’re so weak, and the spinning move goes
all over the place; also, these Yoshis are quite good at simply jumping off
of the arena by themselves.
On the harder difficulties I recommend getting the Yoshi’s stoned. Don’t go
under them or else you might get stuck under their feet for some potentially
nasty damage.
==========
III. Fox (1, 1, 2, 2, 2)
==========
There are two ways you can do this stage: the regular way, or the Pacifist
way. The Pacifist way doesn’t always work out perfectly, but it’ll net you a
nice bonus if you do it right.
REGULAR WAY:
I have found a strategy for this stage that, if used correctly, makes
fighting Fox, even on very hard, a piece-o-cake (well, he’s not that hard
anyway). This strategy works around 80-90% of the time, and enables you to
easily and quickly (in under 30 seconds) beat Fox and get a good amount of
points in the process. There are ways to beat Fox that get you more points,
but then again, my emphasis here is on ease of survival.
At the start, dash towards Fox before he can react. He may shoot a laser at
you on the harder difficulties, but if you dash you’ll get to the dip in the
stage and the laser will go over your head. Catch Fox and throw him
backwards. Wait for him to recover, then hit him with a Lunge Kick, dashing
kick, or throw, depending on how he recovers. Repeat two or three times (you
may need to use your Split Kick, too, depending on how close you hit Fox
from) until Fox is near the left edge of the stage. Now hit him a last time,
and he’ll fly off the stage. Either jump towards Fox and spike him, or simply
edge-guard him one from land. Spiking is risky because (a) you might get hit
by the Arwing (it comes by near the 20-25 second mark, which should be close
to the current time if you’re following my strat) and (b) Fox might damage
you a little with a stray hit. When edge-guarding don’t go too close to the
arena’s edge or else you’ll have a hard time lunge-kicking the Fire Fox. If
you edge guard him, you could get an extra bonus as Fox may be hit and killed
by the Arwing, giving you the Arwing Clear award; if not, you’ll still get
Speedster, No Damage, Full Power, No Items, No Miss X 3 (hopefully), and more
awards.
PACIFIST WAY:
You can do this on any difficulty, but it’s easier not to get hit on the
easier modes. This doesn’t always work (sometimes the Arwing doesn’t fly by
at the right time, and sometimes Fox doesn’t get hit), but if it does, it’s
worth it. I recommend that you try this way if you’re going for a high score.
At the start, walk or run to the left edge of the stage. Fox will follow (be
careful not to be hit by any blaster shots). Once Fox is within striking
range, start jumping, dashing, rolling, etc. – anything that will prevent Fox
from hitting you. Obviously, you shouldn’t hit Fox in the process, or else
you won’t get Pacifist. Dodging Fox’s attacks gets harder in the later
difficulties, but even if you do get hit don’t give up. Pacifist, not No
Damage, is worth the mega-points.
After fifteen or twenty seconds you should hear the sound of the Arwing
blasting its lasers. This means that it’s overhead, and starting to drop to
your level. Keep Fox near the left edge of Great Fox because that’s where the
Arwing shoots from. As soon as you see the Arwing coming towards you either
block, Stone, or jump. At this point it’s probably safest to block as Fox may
throw you out of Stone (and Stone is slow to transform/untransform), and
jumping might make Fox jump with you, making him go out of range of the
Arwing.
Anyway, just get Fox to go a bit to the right of you (roll to the left, if
needed). He’ll get hit by the first laser shot. Block the second volley;
jump, and with luck, the third volley will hit Fox again. Say “tata, mofo”
and taunt. You’ll get Pacifist (60,000), No Damage (15,000), Full Power
(5000), Speedster (10,000), Arwing Clear (4,000), and a few others. Bottom
line: at least 94,000 points up your arse, and probably 100K and up.
================================
IV. Bonus 1: Break the Targets (3)
================================
This is one of the easier bonus stages. Right at the start, execute a quick
kick going left to break the target that’s right next to you. Jump and
execute a midair kick to break the target above you; keep jumping and use
your Final Cutter to get onto the platform above you. You should break the
target on that platform with the Final Cutter’s blade or shockwave.
Jump to your right and horizontal-drill kick (Forward, A/aerial) the target.
A horizontal drill kick won’t make you lose much height (as Kirby doesn’t
really “drop” while he’s doing it) so you can keep jumping, left and upward,
to the higher platform. Now, jump to the highest platform. Run over to the
opening of the long, narrow, tube, and turn into Stone. You’ll hit two
targets on the way down, and you will slide down a ramp and hit a third
target. Right after you hit the third target, unstone. Jump onto the moving
platform that should be roughly at your level. Execute a midair kick before
you land to break the target on the platform.
Now, jump left in the direction of the arrow. There is a platform to your
upper-left. Jump and Final Cutter up onto the platform, breaking the target.
Jump upwards four times and execute one last Final Cutter, which should give
you enough vertical height to hit that last target.
===================
V. Mario Brothers (2, 2, 2, 3, 4)
===================
Probably the first stage where you’ll have to stay on your guard. Mario and
Luigi are a good team and can team up for some nasty combos. Because of the
bumper, the ramps, and the moving platform at the bottom, edge guarding or
spiking the two is very hard. While spiking, beware of Luigi’s Flaming
Uppercut. Don’t misunderestimate (LOL) their teamwork skills.
On the easier difficulty levels, just let your buddy do his stuff while you
go for Luigi. Kill Luigi before you even touch Mario so that you’ll get Bros.
Calamity (25K). Don’t worry if your buddy hits Mario – that doesn’t count. On
these difficulty levels your ally will probably be better than the Brothers,
so just kill Luigi and take care of Mario. Collect your bonus at the end.
On the harder difficulty levels (namely, Very Hard), these mofos can
seriously PISS YOU OFF. Your partner will act narcoleptic; you won’t be able
to spike or edge-guard much due to the layout of the arena; and the Brothers
work well together. They will often launch fireball after fireball. You might
be smart enough to block or jump, but your ally won’t. Also, these fireballs
will block most of your moves, and if you get hit by both Mario and Luigi’s
fireballs (this happens more often than you’d think) you’ll notch up 14%
damage. Plus, in the air, the Bros. Fwd, A/aerial (the extended-leg kick) has
more priority and range than most of your aerial moves, so you won’t be king
of the air.
On these difficulty levels, Mario and Luigi will often rush you at the start.
Either block or counter, and quickly jump up to help your ally who will most
likely be in trouble. If you’re caught unawares at the beginning, you and
your ally will get stuck in a flurry of hits, tornados, and coin punches (=
+30% damage for both of you). My advice is to NOT go for Bros. Calamity;
these brothers are always jumping around, and you’ll probably sustain heavy
damage in killing Luigi while avoiding Mario. Not to mention the fact that
your ally will be slaughtered while you’re f’n around with Luigi.
Try to get your buddy involved. This often means attacking whoever your buddy
is attacking (well, trying to attack). By teaming up, you might get luck and
quickly eliminate one of the two brothers, making your job a lot easier. At
least, your buddy won’t get killed so quickly. On the harder difficulties,
don’t let your ally do all the work by himself – he’ll just get killed and
you’ll be left in a sticky situation. If your ally does get killed, or kills
himself early on (unfortunately, this happens more often than you might
think) you’ll just have to duke it out. Try not to get between Mario and
Luigi, and watch for the Mario Tornado/Luigi Flaming Punch sequence. Try to
isolate one of them and look for opportunities for quick throws and hits to
get him near the edge. Edge guard and spike all you can and try to kill your
target without getting hit too much by the other brother. Don’t worry about
Luigi’s Shoryuken when you’re spiking him as I’ve never seen a computer Luigi
execute it successfully in that situation. Unfortunately, most times you’ll
have to work them up to 100% damage and hit them straight out of the arena,
instead of being lucky enough to edge guard or spike.
If you can kill one brother without sustaining massive damage, it’ll be easy
going from then on. Work on the other guy; dodge and roll a bit, and you’ll
soon find an opening. Lunge kick him to the edge, and try edge guard or
spike; without another brother annoying you, you should be able to take him
out pretty easily.
=============
VI. Pikachu (1, 1, 2, 2, 2)
=============
Hey You, Pikachu! Well, this Pika exemplifies the slogan “Don’t. Do. Drugs.”
as espoused (quite ironically/sarcastically or while high) by Eminem. Anyway,
even on very hard, Pika will have a hard time just _getting_ to you, because
it keeps trying to get to you through the Pokemon door. So, just stand on one
of the platforms to the right of the door and watch Pika walk into the
platform. Hopefully, the door will soon open and reveal, let’s say,
Electrode. Ouch. Plus, Pikachu, in his present mental state, has a hard time
recovering with the Double Agility – half the time he falls between the gaps
in the buildings and dies. If you get lucky enough to get Pikachu to kill
himself, without hitting him once, you’ll get Pacifist, which is worth mega-
points. If Pika’s been battered by the Pokemon but isn’t dead, and you want
to get a move-on, hit and kill Pika with a single smash attack, and you’ll
get the Single-Move award.
If, somehow, Pikachu actually gets to you, you’ll have to do some actual
fighting. But not that much. Just keep a ground-based game (remember, Pika’s
air combos rival even Kirby’s, and he’s quicker and more mobile in the air
than you are) and spike as soon as you get Pikachu between one of the
buildings. Gameset!
===============
VII. Giant DK (2, 2, 2, 3, 4)
===============
This one can be hard if you start hecking around, because Giant DK is strong,
Kirby is weak, and a few hits can send you into the stratosphere. So, play
hit-and-run with the Stone or drill kicks. Combos aren’t too good because DK
has such good priority, he can often hit you even in the middle of the combo.
My usual strat is to copy DK’s ability, charge up (with your other two allies
keeping DK busy, hopefully) then get him up to 150-200%. Then, BAM! Even
Giant DK can’t handle that. On the harder difficulties, remember to stay a
little bit away from DK, while on the easier difficulties you can basically
just jump in, execute a huge flurry of moves, and kill him in around 20
seconds.
If you see an opportunity to edge guard DK, do so. Once he’s over 100% -
pretty low damage for Giant DK – he becomes somewhat vulnerable to good,
sustained, edge guarding. Unfortunately, spiking probably won’t do much since
the fella’s so heavy, he doesn’t really get knocked down. Instead, lunge kick
and split kick DK. If you can break up his Helicopter Spin move, he’ll be in
serious trouble. Split Kick works especially well since it comes out fast and
has good priority. Remember not to be too aggressive on the harder
difficulties, and keep your allies alive, and you’ll be fine.
====================================
VIII. Bonus 2: Board the Platforms (4)
====================================
This one can be a bit challenging, but if you’re a good jumper, you’ll be
alright. After the easy platforms at the start, wait at the ledge for the
next platform. If you wait a bit, you’ll note that the platform comes by
every six seconds or so, and it drops at the same rate you fall. So, if you
fall after the platform comes, you’ll never drop down enough to hit it, and
if you fall before the platform, the solid upper wall will prevent you from
getting to it. What do you do?
Simple. As soon as the platform comes, start falling. Tilt the controller
over to the left, so that you are between the two walls and just above the
platform. Now, tap Down on the control stick to drop faster. You’ll drop down
nicely onto the platform. As soon as you hit the platform, jump out of the
little space (enclosed by the two walls) and up the diagonal ramp to your
right. Hit the platform and take the little escalator up. After hitting the
platform, run – not jump – down the ramp. Stone past the bumper. Unstone as
you’re going down the ramp, and jump at the opening. Keep jumping, upwards
and to the right. After using five or six jumps, use your Final Cutter. You
should reach the very top-right corner, where a platform is. Don’t be rushed
with your jumps; get as much vertical and horizontal distance out of each
jump as possible before jumping again.
Now drop down the passage at the bottom. Don’t use any of your jumps until
you get to the opening, at which point you should repeat the above process,
only jump to the top and to the left now. (If you’re having trouble with
this, you can take a rest at the little alcove on the right before you jump.
This makes the jump a little easier but it wastes some time. Also, don’t tap
down to fall faster if you’re struggling – it seems to make jumping harder.)
Hit the platform. Drop down and you’ll see that last platform on the other
side of the wall; sink a bit, go under the wall, and then jump and final
cutter back up onto the last platform.
================
IX. Kirby Team (2, 2, 2, 3, 4)
================
These guys are a little hardier and a lot more aggressive than those Yoshis
you trampled over earlier, so be careful. The Kirbies are quite adept at
throwing and are heavy on offense, whether towards you or towards themselves.
You’ll have to fight eight of them, two at a time, to get through this round.
First of all, don’t get too close to the Kirbies. Like I said, they are good
at throwing, and chances are their reflexes are faster than yours when it
comes to doing so, so don’t throw too much unless you’re on an easy
difficulty or you want to gain Judo Warrior for points. Instead, roll around
and hit them with a smash attack when they aren’t facing you (the classic
trick for playing against computers). Then, make sure they die (sometimes
they just drop, but sometimes they jump back onto the arena – one smash
attack won’t quite kill them outright). As long as the Kirbies don’t get any
outrageous items, and as long as you’re aware of your surroundings, you’ll be
fine.
Kill the Kirbies in the order of their appearance (there should be no trouble
keeping track here – each Kirby has a different costume) and you’ll get Kirby
Ranks, a pretty nice bonus.
==========
X. Samus (1, 2, 2, 3, 3)
==========
Some people say she’s hard. I personally have never had trouble with her, at
least not with Kirby. Even on very hard, if you can get a good start on her,
a few combos and a spike down into the acid will do her in, quickly and
effectively. Unfortunately, there’s no one good strategy for this stage, as
Samus is kind of unpredictable. The best I can do is give a rough outline:
Start out with a dash and a throw, or maybe a dashing attack or lunge kick.
Afterwards you have a variety of options; you can start a lunge kick combo,
or you can drill her (the cpu Samus is bad at defending against drill kicks,
for some reason). Kirby has very good ground-based moves; use them, but don’t
be afraid to toss in a few aerial moves too – the computer Samus isn’t screw-
happy. After a while, either launch her to the sides of the arena, or catch
her in the air and spike her down into the lava.
If you start having trouble, try to work Samus into the lava. Then jump down
and start spiking, and the game is practically yours.
=================
XI. Metal Mario (2, 2, 3, 3, 4)
=================
This guy’s a freakin’ tank. He’s slow and immensely heavy, and almost
impervious to attacks. (Did the “Metal” part of his name hint at that?) He
can slowly chip away at you, so be careful on the harder difficulties.
Unfortunately, you can’t steal his fireballs and jump around launching them
to raise his damage, because Metal Mario doesn’t have fireballs.
At the start, he’ll be on the upper platform while you’re on the bottom. Jump
up to him and drill kick. Repeat. Mario is slow at getting down, so by the
time he drops down off the platform, he should have amassed a pretty good
amount of damage. Once he’s down onto the main stage, it’ll be harder to
drill him since the platform will be in your way. Regardless, keep drilling
him from through the platform (or wait until he’s in the clear, at the edges
of the arena). A dashing attack or two will also be good. I advise to use
mostly aerial moves, because a ground-based move or combo will be bad. Why?
Because Metal Mario will just flinch a bit, then hit you while you are still
recovering.
Once Metal Mario gets over 100-150% damage, you can start executing ground
moves and combos. Get him over the edge, and edge guard him or spike him. One
edge guard should be enough, cause the guy drops like a stone.
NOTE: You may want to try the Swallow trick (see Tips & Tricks) that The Net
Nomad suggested. It can help you in getting a quick, cheap kill (the Net
Nomad claims to have done it in four seconds!).
==================================
XII. Bonus 3: Race to the Finish (1, 2, 2, 3, 3)
==================================
This one’s basically the same with every character: run through the stage’s
levels, which alternate left-to-right, till you get to the end. You have one
minute on the timer (this time constraint shouldn’t be a problem unless
you’re incredibly slow or the controller’s not plugged in), and you get
points for every second left on the timer after you finish.
Anyways, on the levels with the hazards, jump over those explosive balls
(careful not to have one drop down on you) and run past the bumpers while
they’re hovering above you. These “hazards” shouldn’t be a problem at all
unless you’re practically blind, so don’t worry.
As you drop down between levels, Fighting Polygons will assail you. On the
harder levels they’re quite persistent and can waste a lot of time, so
instead of fighting them, Stone or Drill Kick through them and dash through
the rest of the level - the Polygons can’t catch you if you dash. Even if the
Polygons hit you, it shouldn’t be a problem because AFAIK you don’t lose any
points. (However, you will lose points if you bump into one of the explosive
wheels or bumpers, so be careful.)
=============================
XIII. Fighting Polygon Team (2, 3, 3, 4, 5)
=============================
Well, this is it. The hardest part of your quest. On the easier difficulties,
this stage is just a slight challenge; on the harder difficulties, doing well
on this stage (i.e. not dying too much) is pretty challenging. On Very Hard,
you should be able to complete this level, dying once, with only moderate
challenge. However, if you are aiming to beat this level (and the game)
without dying, you’ll need a lot of skill; the level of skill needed to beat
this stage, on Very Hard, without dying is slightly higher than the level
needed to beat three Level 9 computers teamed up on you.
Well, there aren’t really any tricks or awesome combos you can do on this
stage. It’s all about playing carefully, with a good amount of rolling and
blocking. There are thirty of the polygonal bastards you have to deal with,
each slightly stronger than one of the Yoshis you faced earlier (but not as
strong as the Kirbys). If you let every other polygon hit you, even just a
little bit, you’ll soon amass a massive amount of damage. Anyway, my tips for
the stage:
- Shield and roll a lot. It’s better to kill opponents one at a time, than
launch a risky attack, kill two or three polygons, but wind up with 15 or 20%
damage in the process.
- Use quick smash attacks like the lunge kick to put away the polygons.
Throws work well, too. Attacks which have a longer recovery time, such as the
Flip Kick, aren’t recommended.
- Keep a careful eye on the items, as they can help you immeasurably. If you
see a Maxim tomato (there are quite a few of them that pop up) forget what
you’re doing and try to get it. After all, it’s the equivalent of a life.
Also, don’t let opponents get the good items, such as Beam swords or Hammers.
Try to get them for yourself.
- Play conservatively (unless you see a very good item).
With good strategy and playing, you’ll win without losing a life. If you
can’t, practice, practice, practice!
==================
XIV. Master Hand (1, 2, 2, 3, 4)
==================
You’ve reached the apex of your quest. You’ve battled through tough stages
like the Mario Bros., Giant DK, Metal Mario, and the Fighting Polygon Team.
Your reward for doing this: an epic fight with... a giant glove!? Honestly, I
don’t know what the team was smoking. They could have at least made the
villain Bowser or something. Unfortunately, you’re stuck with fighting the
gloved hand of your Master (the little kid to whom you belong). Anyway, the
Master Hand has special powers and can send projectiles, jab at you, send
flames, and do lots of other stuff that you’ll have to avoid. To kill him,
you have to bring his health down to 0% (he starts out with 300%).
The Master Hand really isn’t that hard, if you’re consistent. On the later
difficulties, some attacks can kill you in one hit, so you have to be
careful. As long as you are, you’re fine, as every attack can be dodged
relatively easily, if you know what to do and if you can anticipate what’s
coming (each attack has a unique warning: for example: sparkling fingers =
launching of rockets; flashing fingers = jabs, etc.) Between every attack the
Hand sends, he’ll rest for a while, hovering just above the platform. During
this time (the time will be longer on the easier difficulties) run up to him
and (downwards) drill kick him, multiple times if time permits. The drill
kick is probably your best attack, as Stone takes too long to execute (and
only does 20% damage compared to the drill kick’s 30%) and smash attacks are
too slow and leave you too vulnerable. Basically, just drill him, evade his
attacks, drill, evade, and so on. The most common mistake is that you take
too long in attacking him and don’t have enough time to evade his next
attack. Remember that you can execute Stone to shield yourself. A last tip –
don’t be distracted by the swirling background (which gets very intense later
on; epileptics beware!).
Anyways, after a minute or two you’ll be done. Congratulations! You’ve beaten
the One-Player game! INCREDIBLE! Your score is (hopefully) over a million
points! It wasn’t that hard now, was it? Now you can move on to...
Multiplayer!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
11. General Strategies
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here you’ll find general strategies for battling it (using Kirby, of course)
against each of the other characters. If there is a specific combo or
strategy that Kirby can use against a particular character, I’ll try to list
it too, if I can find/remember one (or if you send it in). Anyway, most of
these strategies and combos will work on Computers and Humans, unless
specified, although it takes a little more intelligence and planning to
defeat a skilled human player than an equally skilled computer player.
Oh, and remember that these guides are based solely on my experience with
human players (and to a lesser extent, level 9 computers) and may be skewed
somewhat by the fact that I’ve never really faced any good human players of
some characters, while for other characters I’ve faced plenty of good humans
who play as them. If you really disagree with something I’ve said (you
probably will), e-mail me (nicely) and tell me why, and I might change my
mind, and perhaps my FAQ!
==============
Captain Falcon
==============
Falcon is quicker than you, and has that annoying Falcon Grab (a deterrent to
aerial attacks and edge-guarding/spiking), so fighting him isn’t easy. Beware
of his Fire Kick (Forward+A) as it comes out pretty fast and is powerful. It
also has long range so you may be hit as you come out of a roll if you’re not
careful. The Falcon Kick shouldn’t be a real problem, as you should see it
coming. If so, block and counter with a throw or smash attack. Falcon’s
Uppercut (Up+A) can go through a drill kick unless it’s well timed and
placed, so be careful.
In the air, avoid overusing drill kicks. If the Falcon player can predict
your drill, he may dodge and Falcon Grab you. Stick with an occasional Stone;
the karate kick/backward kick also works well since it allows you to keep
your distance and deter a pesky Falcon. Be wary of his flip kick (Up,
A/aerial).
While edge-guarding, be careful when trying to lunge kick Falcon as he may
well execute his Grab and catch you off guard. The same goes for spiking,
although if you have good timing with the downward drill kick you shouldn’t
have a big problem.
Generally, you should be careful around Falcon. Kirby’s speed and throw are
basically negated by Falcon’s, and Falcon’s smash attacks are also pretty
quick in coming out. An important move is your Final Cutter; it’s good as a
deterrent since it shields your front (well, the first part of the move does,
anyway) from Falcon’s Grab. You should also roll a lot; your roll is quicker
than Falcon’s so he probably won’t be able to follow you well. Block and roll
whenever you see a Fire Kick or Falcon Punch coming (you can actually roll to
his other side and attack if you are close to Falcon while he starts charging
his punch), and launch a combo. Ground combos work especially well. If you
can get a few openings, you can get Falcon to the edge where he’s vulnerable
to any form of edge-guarding (remember, his jumps are pathetic). Just be
cautious all the way along, and don’t lose your head, as one Falcon Punch or
Fire Kick can turn the whole game around.
===========
Donkey Kong
===========
I’ve never had too much trouble with DK, but then again, I’ve never played an
excellent human DK. Obviously, his huge size and heaviness open him up to
sustained combos, both on the ground and in the air. On the ground, if you
can get an opening, start a lunge kick or even flip kick combo, and he’ll
have trouble getting out of it until he has moderate damage. In the air,
drill kicks work well as he’s such a big heavy target; you’ll probably be
getting 21-30% damage with every downward drill you execute. Stone works
well, but I doubt you can catch DK off-guard since he shouldn’t be in the air
that much. Just look for openings to get in a stray Lunge or Flip Kick and
you shouldn’t have any trouble connecting on at least a moderate combo. Lunge
Kicks, Upward/Flip kicks, and Drills work especially well.
Edge guarding DK is actually quite hard if you don’t spike. Despite his size,
he has fair jumping ability. Also, his helicopter recovery makes it hard for
you to edge guard him, since if you try and hit him, your attack will most
likely be negated by his twirling fists (which will often hit you instead,
knocking you from your position and further annoying you). Instead of staying
at the edge, jump out and downward drill kick DK; there’s nothing much he can
do (his aerial upwards attack would waste time and probably make him fall
short of the arena) if you stay just above him. Don’t get down to his level,
or you’ll get hit by his helicopter, or worse, his tomahawk (forward,
a/aerial), which will send you down into oblivion.
On the ground, watch out for his Giant Punches and Hand Slaps. These are
powerful, and can screw you majorly. Of course, if you can keep your
concentration, you can easily predict and dodge them (roll to DK’s other
side) and get in a solid hit (or start a combo). One of DK’s biggest assets
is his throw, which has great range and priority. Because of this, be wary of
dashing into DK (if you’re going to execute a dashing attack, do so early, or
else you may get thrown) and don’t try to throw him yourself – you’ll likely
lose. If he tries to grab you and suicide, meaning that he’s *real*
desperate, wait till he’s near the edge of the arena, then start mashing
buttons. Hopefully you’ll escape his grasp in midair, allowing you to jump
back on, but not DK (since he’s got bad vertical jumping ability). Generally
anyone who tries to suicide is very desperate and/or crap, so in most cases
you should be able to escape DK’s hold, spike, and get back onto land.
===
Fox
===
Fox is rather hard one. He’s almost as fast as Falcon and is nimbler, meaning
that you’ll be hard pressed to find easy openings. Fox is full of quick
moves, especially aerial ones (forward, a/aerial and up, a/aerial) that can
do some damage and set you up for later moves. Fox doesn’t have one
particularly powerful move but can set up good combos that will raise your
damage quickly.
Fox’s dash and throw are faster than yours, so be careful when throwing.
However, note that your throw has greater range.
Fox’s blaster and Fire Fox should not be a problem because you can easily
detect them. Just don’t block a blaster shot at close range because your
shield will stay up for a bit after the shot and Fox may dash in and throw
you. Also, don’t be stubborn and try to “run through” Fox’s blaster shots. If
he’s pressing B rapidly and shooting a whole series of shots in succession,
instead of trying to roll or attack through the shots, simply block, then
roll away and jump. You may be hit once or twice for a little damage, but if
you pull a Rambo and slowly advance through Fox’s fire, you’ll take upwards
of 30 or 40% damage. Plus, Fox can simply roll or jump away from you once you
do get close. Also, if he’s pressing B quickly enough, he’ll shoot quickly
enough to repeatedly break up your Lunge Kick or whatever moves you’re trying
on him.
Be careful of Fox’s ground smash attacks. These moves have about the same
priority as yours but come out a tad faster. Also be careful of his aerial
moves as his Up, A/aerial is extremely annoying and will penetrate through
most of your drills. Due to his quick and nimble jumping Fox can actually
juggle you for some time with this move and at high damage you’ll be killed,
so try to evade or Stone. It’s likely that you won’t be able to evade or
Stone in time (and a very nimble Fox might be able to dodge your Stone or
anticipate it and counter), and Fox’s kick will probably go through your
drill kick (or at least one of the hits will, which will keep you in the
air), so just try to keep away from the situation. Don’t try to trade hits
(Kirby’s drill vs. Fox’s flip kick) as you’ll be the loser. As a last resort
you can pull a Final Cutter, provided that you’re not too high in the air.
It’s a rather stupid move and Fox may still be able to get to you, but at
least you’ll surprise him and go downwards faster.
Stone may work if you see Fox trying an aerial combo on you early enough.
Just be sure that you’ll have enough time to form Stone before Fox gets to
you. The final cutter is also a good defense against Fox, especially when
he’s trying a few aerial moves on you.
Fox shouldn’t be too hard to spike. He has few anti-spike counters that he
can perform in the air without losing significant time and air (and
consequently dying), and his Fire Fox takes a while to come out. If you see
Fox starting to rocket, hurry up and hit him out of it; if you see that it’s
in its later stages (i.e. Fox is starting to do his Fire Fox routine) don’t
bother because the Fire Fox has great priority and will override your spike.
Instead, wait for a safe time and then edge-guard, or actually wait for Fox
to land and sort your options then, as the late stages of the Fire Fox can
still screw you through your edge-guarding move. So, it’s usually better to
spike Fox instead of letting him come within Fire Fox range and then trying
to edge-guard.
Fox does have a spiking move but because his air is limited (is jumping isn’t
all that bad but he jumps and falls fast) he’s not a great spiker. If you’re
trying to get back onto land be careful that he doesn’t do a little jump out
and then drill you – like I said, his jumps are fast and it may catch you by
surprise. However if you anticipate it you can probably counter with a move
of your own, provided you’ve got enough jumps left to carry you onto the
stage afterwards. Be careful when Final Cutter-ing onto the stage as Fox may
use his reflecting shield and send the wave back at you, resulting in a
little damage and sending you flying off the arena again. To prevent this,
you can Final Cutter yourself onto the ledge – be careful, though.
It’s a pretty even game with Fox. Aerial combos are risky because of Fox’s
versatility; however, you may have an edge in ground combos as Fox cannot
sustain most ground combos as long as you can. Basically, play conser-
vatively, dash a few times to surprise Fox (your dashing kick has good
range), and once again, look for a few openings and take full advantage of
them.
==========
Jigglypuff
==========
Don’t underestimate the puffer, as a good Jiggly can pose a serious threat.
Jiggly, while slightly slower than you (both on land and in the air), has
obviously very good jumping abilities. I actually prefer Kirby’s jumps as
they are more even and you’re very versatile in the air (both vertically and
horizontally). In contrast, Jiggly’s first three jumps are relatively “big”,
but the rest are tiny and are of little to no use vertically. However, Jiggly
has a great horizontal aerial game, enhanced by her Pounds, so be careful.
Also, Jiggly has more air than you since she’s lighter, so you may be able to
actually outlast Kirby in the air. Oh, and don’t forget about her drill.
Jiggler’s drill is perhaps her best move in the air. It has the same max.
damage as Kirby’s (30%) but it seems to have more range and duration. Plus,
Jiggly floats even more than Kirby, so she doesn’t “drop” much in the air,
allowing for her to get more hits in. However, you can counter Jiggly’s
drills by simply remaining on top of her whenever she gets airborne – you
have more vertical jumping abilities than her so it shouldn’t be a problem.
You might even try a Stone every now and then, as Jiggly isn’t extremely
agile in the air (although she might me able to counter your Stone with a
well timed and placed Pound).
Also, be careful of Jigglypuff’s Pound. It has very good priority and Jiggles
can easily juggle with it. It’s quite annoying in the air as a well-timed
Pound will go through your karate kick (A/aerial), backwards kick (back,
A/aerial) or spin kick (Up, A/aerial) unless you have perfect timing. Don’t
use any of those moves much or else Jiggly will anticipate them and Pound you
out of them. Don’t be afraid of drilling her, especially with your downwards
drill, as Jiggly only has her hand clap (up, A/aerial) to defend against it.
While a well-placed hand clap can hit you and send you flying, if you drill
quickly then Jigglypuff probably won’t be able to react quickly enough to
defend against it.
On the ground, you should be careful of Jiggly’s Fwd+A smash as it is quick
and is decent in combos. Also, don’t be caught off guard by Jiggly’s headbutt
(Up+A), which comes out surprisingly fast and is quite powerful. It has a
large arc, so if you’re stupid Jiggly can easily catch you as you’re coming
down.
In One-on-One combat you should be very careful of the Sing&Sleep tactic. You
can mash buttons to get out of Sing quicker but it probably won’t work. Also
be careful of a quick Rest in the air on Jiggly’s part, which can occur if
either of you get too comfortable when trying a drill or the like. Don’t let
Jiggly Pound your shield down because then she can use headbutt or Rest on
you. Getting shield-broken is easier than you might think as some of Jiggly’s
moves cause shield-stun (i.e. your shield is still up for a moment after the
move has ended), at which point she can Pound your shield down. Be very
careful when blocking in three or four-player combat as you mightn’t see
Jiggly coming.
Jiggly’s backward throw is surprisingly good as it throws you at a low angle,
so you fly very far horizontally. Her other throw is somewhat crap but it is
good for setting up for combos (if you want to see some good Jiggly combos,
see x1372’s Cheap Combo FAQ!).
Jiggly is an okay edge guarder, but jump up (or stay low) and Jiggly won’t be
able to get to you very well. Remember, you have better coming back abilities
(in general) than Jiggly, so don’t be afraid to get in a spiking match. You
should win – remember, you have a Final Cutter, while Jiggly has, well...
When playing against Jiggly, try to exploit her weaknesses. The final cutter
works well against an overly enthusiastic aerial Jig. Also remember that, as
a balloon, Jigglers cannot change directions or dart about in the air very
well, so use your maneuverability to your advantage in the air. On the
ground, you may find it hard to get Jiggs in sustained combos due to her
lightness, but try to get her near to the edge. Instead of edge guarding (she
has a good anti-edge in her Pound), jump out and spike the hell out of her.
Remember, she doesn’t really have aerial moves that have much range upwards,
so feel free to downwards-drill her. Be careful of her hand clap, although
your drill has the range and priority to beat it (usually). Don’t get overly
comfy for else Jigglypuff may do a last-ditch rest on you. In any case, just
be careful and don’t get too tied-up in the air against Jiggly, and you
should triumph.
=====
Kirby
=====
Well, there’s not that much I can say about Kirby, since I’ve hardly ever
played a good human player. Plus, the CPU Kirby bites, and I never let it
play since it’ll screw up my stats ;-).
Anyway, remember that whatever you do, the other Kirby can do, perhaps
better. Don’t focus on one move, since the other guy can always imitate you.
A good strategy is to do things that the other Kirby won’t expect; since you
probably have a good amount of experience with Kirby if you’re reading this,
you know what to expect: lunge kicks, complemented by split kicks, and the
occasional flip or two. In the air, look for incessant drilling (vertical and
horizontal) and a kick or two or ten. Be careful of nasty spikes using the
Final Cutter and beware of Stone when you’re jumping around. So, do what you
can to counter: remember that strong attacks generally _will_ block smash
attacks, so do a strong attack to block an incoming move, then lunge kick the
opponent while he/she is still recovering. You know those damn annoying
combos you always give opponents? Well, you don’t wanna be on the receiving
end now, so if it looks like you’re going to get swept into a combo, block,
roll, jump - anything that will save you. Luckily, Kirby’s light, so you
won’t get into a sustained combo, but neither will your opponent.
While every good Kirby player has a few set moves they use often, some like
particular moves more than others. If you see a lunge-happy Kirby, remember
that a Split Kick or even Swallow will handily counter a Lunge Kick, and at a
pretty good distance (plus it comes out quick, so it might surprise the
opponent). Also note that blocking-then-dashing kick works well against Final
Cutters, while Block-Roll-Lunge or Block-throw works well against drills. In
the air, well, it’s anybody’s guess, since you both have equal priority. Try
to get the upper hand and also remember that Stone can teach an incessant
driller a lesson.
As for edge-guarding and spiking: you probably won’t succeed in edge-guarding
as they’ll just latch onto the ledge. Spiking is very risky (careful that
they don’t swallow you and suicide, or Final Cutter you and suicide) but what
I usually do is quickly jump out, do a drill kick from a relatively high
position, and jump back onto land ASAP. If you’re lucky the drill kick will
come out quick enough that they won’t be able to react, and you’ll just hit
them with one or two hits of the drill (doing only 3 or 6% damage, but
spiking them nonetheless). Often Kirbys will be able to recover from “soft”
spikes like yours (the only other character who can do this consistently is
Pikachu) so if you’re up against another opponent, you may have to spike
several times to finally get the job done. Again, this is risky, so I
recommend duking this one out on land and hitting the other Kirby out of the
arena, instead of spiking or edge-guarding. Since Kirby is light, it
shouldn’t be much of a problem.
So basically, get aware of what type of game they play, and counter it. Also
remember that you should try to vary your moves and do things that the other
Kirby doesn’t expect, such as using non-Smash attacks. Your throw and dashing
kick are lifesavers, especially if the two of you are rolling around. Expect
an intense match with lots of blocking, rolling, dodging, and throwing; the
best player wins. It’s as simple as that.
====
Link
====
Oooh, Mr. Fancy-Pantsy swords moves is in town! Actually, thanks to one of my
friends who is a Link fanatic, I have lots of experience with Link. While
playing against Link, you have to be careful, very careful, as Link has much
better priority and his moves can send you flying at low damage. However,
Kirby has the speed and recovery speed advantage, so you also have your
advantages.
One of Link’s biggest weaknesses is that his moves come out rather slowly and
he recovers rather slowly. If you can block, say, his Sword Slash (Fwd+A) or
his Sword Roundabout (Down+A) then you have plenty of time to execute a lunge
kick, split kick, or flip kick. Take advantage of Link by luring yourself
close to him, then rolling either away from him or into (and past) him,
although with this second strategy you have to do it before the move actually
starts. If Link blocks right after he executes a move, then throw him out of
it. Similarly, if Link tries to throw you while you’re blocking, just roll or
jump out of the way, then kick him. Many Link players overuse their throws. A
good trick is to pretend you’re running right into Link, then jump up as you
come into throwing range. The opponent will see you coming and that R-button
reflex will kick in. By this time, you should be airborne, and you’ll have
plenty of time to execute a Stone, drill kick, etc.
Beware of Link’s Fwd+A, as it has a wide arc and a long range so he can roll
out of range of an air-to-land drill, then hit you with his Sword Slash.
Link’s roundabout is often used as it comes out quite quickly and launches
players up (or, if he hits you on the “roundabout”, it hits you sideways).
Don’t try a lunge or split kick to counter because you won’t have enough
time; instead, just block and roll away ASAP. Don’t get yourself thrown. Link
may try his three-hit sword move (Up+A) on you if you drill from right on top
of him. Don’t drill in these circumstances as at least one of the three
slashes will probably get past your drill.
You shouldn’t have to worry about Link’s bomb as you can see it coming from a
mile away. Beware of his boomerang, though, as it knocks you up (*snicker*)
into the perfect position for a Sword Slash or throw. If you block, roll away
quickly lest a throw or dashing attack be coming your way. The boomerang is
also dangerous in the air; don’t be surprised if a Link who’s jumping back
onto the stage first unleashes a boomerang. Link can go straight from an
aerial move (like the boomerang) into his Up+B recovery spin, unlike most
other characters who recover for a while.
In the air, watch for Link’s upward and downward slashes. He may use his
upwards slash on one of your attempted drill kicks, but the attacks can
cancel. If they don’t, you’ll be the loser, as an upward slash hurts a lot
more than one or two hits from a drill. Link’s air roundabout (Fwd, A/aerial)
is deadly but it takes a long time coming. There’s not much you can counter
it with, except perhaps a karate or backwards kick, and even those may not
cancel the move completely. Basically, just don’t fly adjacent to Link in the
air, or you’ll know what’s coming. If you get Link into the air, don’t try
too many Flip Kicks or else Link may get you with a downwards slash, which
has good priority. Also, be careful of a quick downwards slash combined with
a tap of Down on the Control Stick. In this situation Link will fall
downwards quickly, and with his slash move. This comes out quickly and is
hard to avoid. Block if you see it coming, then get ready for Link to recover
(by tapping Z) once he hits the ground. Once Link’s shield is up, throw him.
Because Link’s dangerous in the air I wouldn’t try too many drills, except
where Link’s already executed a move and missed. One good move is Stone; Link
probably won’t be able to jump away in time if he’s airborne, and he won’t be
able to counter it either. Just don’t start Stone from right above Link,
because a smart Link player will see you transforming and quickly use his/her
aerial swirl (Up, B/aerial) to hit you out of Stone before you’re fully
transformed. If the two of you are close in the air a drill will be good, but
don’t give him any warning lest he decide to counter it.
Edge guarding Link is somewhat hard, as there’s no way your attack will get
past his swirl. However, if Link’s swirl is done and he’s just sort of
“floating” in the air, don’t hesitate to lunge kick him into oblivion. If I
were you I’d spike Link; you may get hit once or twice in the process (be
careful of suicidal Links doing their comeback move early, just to spite you)
but you should get a KO. A good combo near the edge is to do a dashing kick
to knock Link off, then a quick split kick to hit him out of the jump that’s
coming, then either an edge-guard or spike.
As for Link, he can edge guard will with his Sword Slash or his Sword
Roundabout, but a Final Cutter onto the ledge will solve that problem. Some
suicidal people like to jump off the arena and use their downward slash moves
to knock you further outwards and kill you (hehe... I love doing this), so be
careful of that whenever you’re facing a Link with a high amount of damage.
Note that if you’re close to the arena Link can “hop” back onto the arena
after his downward slash move, adding insult to your injury, but a quick
counter move (a quick karate kick or even Stone will throw him off) when you
see that suicidal Link coming should do the trick.
So, with Link, just use your superior rolling and dodging skills to your
advantage. Block and roll from all of his attacks and hit him while he’s
recovering, or throw him. Link fits into most combos well, so raise that
damage-meter! Don’t forget that persistent edge-guarding or a spike can kill
Link at woefully low amounts of damage, so exploit the fact that Link can’t
jump worth a damn. Also, if Link’s boomerang is pissing you off, copy it. It
can be useful as an edge-guarding move, or to set up for your combos.
=====
Luigi
=====
Never liked Luigi, never will. His Fireball sucks as it can’t bounce like
Mario’s; his only really good moves are the Shoryuken (Flaming Coin Punch,
for you purists) and the Luigi Tornado, which are hard to connect with (for
maximum damage) and overused; he’s slow on land and clumsy in the air, and he
can’t combo or juggle very well. Luigi’s good on a team as a finisher or
“dart in, dart out” player, but he’s not very good one-on-one due to his
slowness.
However, he can give you trouble since most of his moves all have the same or
better priority than you, but he’s not as good a comboer or juggler as Mario
is. I find that his Shoryuken is very overrated as there are few instances
where Luigi will have a chance to connect. If he tries the “drill kick =>
shoryuken” maneuver then block on the ground (careful for Luigi’s throws,
though); blocking and rolling (and then countering) works well.
In the air, be careful of Luigi’s forward kick since it comes out hard and
fast and will probably go through your Karate/Backward kick, as it’s
stronger. Instead of trying lots of horizontal kicks and drills, go for drill
kicks instead. Luigi’s Up, A/aerial (his little flip kick) doesn’t do much
damage and doesn’t have good priority, so don’t worry. If you’re going to
drill, do it slightly early so Luigi can’t Shory (if he tries, he’ll end up
with the little, 1% damage uppercut) or Tornado you. Drilling early won’t do
as much damage as usual but it will send Luigi downwards and give you an
opportunity to set up further moves. Stone from above also works well in
deterring Luigi. Be careful not to go under Luigi in the air as his Tornado
or drill kick will go through most any attack you can pull off in that
situation.
On land, you have an edge as you are nimbler than Luigi. If the opponent is
stupid enough to let fly with the Fists of Fury (Dashing attack), just block
and execute a throw or split kick. If you see it coming you can also block,
roll through the attack and come out on the other side of Luigi. You’ll have
a bit of time to counter him if you’re quick enough. Lunge Kicks and Split
Kicks work well in deterring any pesky Luigi who wants to come close for a
throw or Shoryuken, and they also set up combos. Don’t throw too much since
Luigi’s throw, while a bit slower, has better range and he may end up
countering your throw with his. Be careful of Luigi’s headbutt, as it is
powerful and has a large arc. The bad thing is that many of Luigi’s attacks
will nullify yours, making persistent comboing hard. If you can start a
combo, you may be able to rack up a good amount of damage as Luigi isn’t very
light.
Luigi has good jumping and his recovery move has very good priority, so it’s
not easy to edge guard. Don’t try edge-guarding past his Shoryuken unless
it’s in its later stages; otherwise your attack will be nullified. Spiking is
a bit easier since if you start your drill early then you’ll probably be able
to hit Luigi with at least one or two hits. If you’re coming back, Luigi may
try to jump out and drill but it’s not likely as his drill is not an
effective spike (it doesn’t send you downwards that much). His Forward+A move
is dangerous, but as it doesn’t have that good of a range I wouldn’t worry
too much about it.
When playing Luigi, all you can do is dodge and get in a few hits here-and-
there, and maybe hope for a combo or two. It’s not easy to get in an opening
since Luigi’s fireballs and strong attacks can easily nullify smash attacks
from you. Just be patient and do quick attacks (for example, throw or split
kick) if you get an opportunity while Luigi’s recovering. This seems to be
one of the more “boring” matchups as your fighting styles differ and since
Luigi seems to be more of an attack-by-attack fighter instead of a fluid
fighter like Kirby, Fox, or Link. Anyway, just try to get an early damage
advantage and spike whenever you get a chance. If Luigi closes in then block
and roll to protect yourself from that stupid Shoryuken of his.
=====
Mario
=====
Mario is a bit more dangerous than his brother Luigi because he actually has
decent comboing ability, as well as a much more useful fireball. Also, he’s a
much quicker fighter, especially in the air, and is a bit more nimble than
his brother (despite his waistline!).
On the ground, watch for Mario’s specials. His fireballs are quite annoying
and will seemingly gravitate towards you; block them when they’re fired at
you (be careful of an attempted throw at the end, but since Kirby’s throw is
quicker you can try to press A while blocking to counterthrow Mario). If you
block and roll, be careful: if you roll backwards, you may get hit by the
still-traveling fireball as you come out of it, since the fireball moves at a
similar rate to your roll. If you roll forward, you may roll right into a
second fireball, or worse, into Mario’s waiting hands. The best tactic is
probably to block and quickly jump away from a subsequent rushing
attack/throw, or roll forwards and then either evade Mario’s attacks or catch
him by surprise (you might keep your shield up at the end of the roll to
block any attack that’s coming, then throw him as he recovers. However,
there’s an element of chance involved because Mario might be waiting to throw
you).
The Mario tornado comes out quickly but thankfully it’s easy to block and
does little damage. Mario’s uppercut doesn’t quite have the range of Luigi’s,
but it’s a lot more annoying since it comes out so quickly and breaks up most
of your moves.
The effectiveness of your lunge kick will be reduced because a well-placed
fireball (Mario can shoot plenty of them in a short period of time) will
negate it (as well as most other moves you might execute). This can get
extremely annoying, especially when you’re fighting multiple opponents,
because you’ll never be able to get a hit past the fireball! Also, Mario’s
punch, while not as strong or as combo-able as your lunge kick, also comes
out quickly and is good for negating the kick. So, while you should still use
the kick a fair bit, don’t use it too much or give time for Mario to counter.
A good alternative to the lunge kick is the split kick, which comes out
quicker and can go through a fireball if you’re lucky. Don’t let Mario see
your pattern, though, or else he’ll just block and throw. Also, while
comboing, don’t give Mario any breathing room or he’ll quickly break up your
combo with a tornado or uppercut.
Speaking of Mario’s throws, be careful of them. They come out pretty quickly
and have decent range, and that spinny throw of his annoys not only you but
also anyone else you might ram into.
Good moves to employ are the (strong) upwards kick followed by the (smash)
flip kick. Mario probably won’t have enough time to counter with a headbutt,
especially if you use the quicker upwards kick first. This leads to a nice
combo that Mario won’t get out of until he has moderate damage. Another good
move is the Final Cutter. The blade (right before you spring up) is good for
nullifying any fireballs right in front of you, and the energy wave will go
through fireballs and can catch Mario off guard. If anything, it will make
him block, giving you time to sort your options.
In the air, your vertical drill kick and your stone will go through anything
Mario gives. However, Mario can attack you while you’re setting up your drill
kick or your stone. For example, Mario might try an aerial flip (weak but
decent range) to interrupt or cancel a drill, or he might use his uppercut on
you if he anticipates your stoning (remember, it takes Kirby a little while
to get into position and then transform, and during this time Mario could
easily jump into position and try an uppercut). The best bet is to start
these moves early so Mario won’t get a chance to counter.
What you don’t want to do in the air is to use a horizontal drill kick,
karate kick, or even a backwards kick. Mario and Luigi both have that
powerful aerial spinning kick (Forward, A/aerial) that has more range than
your moves as well as good priority. Be wary of this move and don’t get close
to Mario in the air, unless you’re going in from above. Don’t try to get him
in the air from below, either (actually this applies to Kirby while fighting
most any opponent) since your Up, A/aerial is that crappy spinning move. From
below and to the side works well, though, as Mario can’t counter your Final
Cutter very well.
Spiking Mario isn’t that hard, as long as you start your spike early. Mario
may try a flip kick to deter you but that shouldn’t be a problem; spike again
if necessary. If he tries an uppercut you’ll likely trade hits, meaning that
you’ll be damaged a little bit but Mario will still be spiked. Even if he
gets you cleanly with the uppercut he’ll still die unless he’s already close
to the stage, since his uppercut doesn’t have much horizontal distance. When
spiking you should still be careful of Mario’s deadly forward spinning kick
as that doesn’t sacrifice much air so Mario players will use that move
liberally. Stay on top of Mario to dodge the move. When edge-guarding, use
your split kick instead of your lunge kick since that covers your underside
better (Mario will probably try an uppercut from below). You probably won’t
cancel the uppercut though, and since a good Mario player will aim for the
ledge you probably won’t be able to edge-guard much. So, spike when you get a
chance.
Mario’s drill isn’t much of a spiker, especially against Kirby, and your
final cutter should be able to cancel any edge-guarding move he throws at
you. Be careful that you don’t get hit by an errant fireball (it shouldn’t
matter that much anyway, though, as you won’t lose much air) and aim for the
ledge (or else Mario can punch or headbutt you). You probably won’t have to
worry much about Mario edge-guarding or spiking, though.
Overall this is a relatively tough match up. Don’t get annoyed by his
fireballs, and don’t get caught in too many of them because at 7% per hit,
the damage can mount up. Remember that you are quicker and more nimble than
Mario, so roll everywhere and try to hit him from the back. Throws are good
too. Don’t try to go into a slugfest because almost all of Mario’s attacks
have better or equal priority to yours, and they’re almost as quick coming
out. Be patient and look for openings!
====
Ness
====
Ken Lawler has some great, accurate information regarding Kirby vs. Ness:
“Ness usually has better priority than you, but this balances out somewhat by
the fact that his moves are slower. Since your only projectile is the blade
the Final Cutter produces, PSI Magnet shouldn't a problem. Try to identify the
small flash around Ness when he uses his PK attacks, then dodge accordingly.
Usually it'll be PK Fire, since Thunder takes longer to strike and usually
leaves a Ness player open. If you get hit by PK Fire, the next move is
probably a throw or Thunder Ram, so get out ASAP. Jumping in isn't a bad idea,
just make sure to take a second quick hop once in awhile to mess up his
counter (usually a Yo-Yo swing), then come in with a Down and A, or maybe a
Stone. If Ness attempts the Thunder Ram technique (aka hitting himself with PK
Thunder, propelling himself forward), you can use Stone if you see it coming
(and you'd better). Or if he misses, go to the point where he'll begin to
drop, and make him sorry he ever attempted to hit you with that move!”
Hmmm...what can I say that Ken Lawler hasn’t!?
Well, Kirby and Ness have very different playing styles. In fact, apart from
the fact that they’re both light and floaty, they have almost nothing in
common! Kirby excels in combos and tight sequences because many of his moves
chain together (take the lunge kick, for example). In contrast, Ness’s moves
don’t chain together because they take a while coming out and have
significant recovery. However, Ness’s moves are generally more powerful and
damaging than Kirby’s and have better priority; thus Ness has the advantage
when it comes to juggling and/or countering attacks.
One good way to combat ness is to use normal or strong attacks, which come
out very quickly, to negate Ness’s attacks. Then you have a good amount of
time to whoop Ness, who should be recovering. On the ground, look to chain a
few flip, split, and lunge kicks in. Ness is not quick when it comes to
executing attacks or recovering, so use Kirby’s agility to your advantage. A
few throws wouldn’t hurt, but be careful of counter-throws. Ness’s throw is
similar to yours (it is slightly slower in coming out but seems to have
better range, and is usually more effective) and if you’re not careful or too
eager with comboing, you’ll get thrown.
Also be careful of Ness’s smash attacks. His baseball bat hit comes out
slowly and isn’t particularly good, so you shouldn’t have any problems there.
However, his other two ground smashes are tricky. His upwards yoyo is
surprisingly quick in coming out and covers a wide arc. His forwards yoyo is
unique in that it goes backwards, not forwards, upon coming out. This
surprises many a newbie Ness and even experienced Kirbys; while it makes for
tough timing, a good Ness player will trick you by executing the move with
his back to you, or doing it normally and waiting for you to block at the
wrong time. Be careful.
Also be careful of Ness’s specials. PK Fire is useful from mid-range and has
stopped many a charging Kirby. PK Fire’s slanting aerial trajectory makes it
a good jump-in, so block when you see that subtle movement of Ness’s hands.
Obviously, a well-timed Thunder Ram hurts, but you should not give Ness
enough time to execute it. A good Ness player uses the Thunder Ram rarely;
only intermediate players (those good enough to control the Thunder Ram but
not good enough to see its weaknesses) will use it frequently. Counter if you
can, or block/Stone. Don’t try to intercept Ness once he’s been hit by the PK
Thunder; most likely, it won’t work.
In the air, you have an advantage in that you are much more agile than Ness.
Exploit this point. Don’t hang around, or Ness will try a PK Fire or even
Thunder. Use your drills, vertical and horizontal, to your full advantage.
Even that spinning move can be effective, as Ness won’t expect it, it’s
surprisingly hard to totally counter, and Ness doesn’t react that quickly.
Just remember to execute quick moves. Stone works well if you can execute it
early enough, but beware of Ness’s floaty jumping and plan accordingly.
In summary, just be careful of Ness’s moves, which are somewhat slow but
powerful. Use speed rather than brute strength, and be careful of Ness’s
priority. I don’t recommend using the Flip Kick or other slow moves, unless
you’re chaining them into combos, because Ness may be able to counter those
moves. Instead, use fast moves such as the Lunge Kick and your Drills; block
and roll a lot (counter on Ness’s mis-hit); and remember that dashing and
quick throws work well.
=======
Pikachu
=======
Ah, the dreaded Pikachu. Many people use Pikachu, and for good reason: the
little rat is quick in attacking, deadly nimble, and has phenomenal jumping
abilities. While it cannot match Kirby or even Jigglypuff in sustained
flight, its Double Agility makes for amazing maneuvers, recoveries, and
evasions. Because of Pika’s quickness on feet and in air, it is often labeled
the Anti-Kirby, a reputation it often lives up to.
I say that even though none of my friends “specialize” in Pikachu! There are
lots of things you have to be careful of when playing against that little son
of a bitch. First, let’s deal with Pika’s air combos. That little Forward,
A/aerial move works wonders as it comes out quick, chains easily and does 15%
damage or so. A good Pika player will execute that move multiple times in the
air (remember, it comes out quickly and has little recovery time) and/or
chain it into a sequence on the ground. Your backwards kick and karate kick
are strong enough to neutralize the move, PROVIDED YOU TIME IT CORRECTLY.
This is not easy, though! Both the Karate and Backwards kick take a little
time in coming out, and Pika is so quick in the air that you’ll be hard-
pressed to respond quick enough (especially since top-class Pika players are
lightning quick on the buttons). Basically, whenever Pika gets close to you
in the air, you should be prepared to counterattack or block. Also be careful
of Pika’s Down, A/aerial. This also comes out quickly and knocks you to the
side at a pretty good angle. It usually won’t kill you, but it is quite
annoying. The worst thing is, it is VERY hard to counter! That upwards-
spinning thing of Kirby’s is weak and tricky to time right, not to mention
that it takes a small (but significant) amount of time to get started. Pika
may use the move as a jump-in, so block or use a Strong (not smash) Upwards
kick to counter if you are very confident in your timing. Also be aware of
Pika’s little tail kicks and such in the air; if you’re not careful they’ll
stun you and set you up into a combo.
So, how do you counter Pikachu in the air? Good question. I don’t have enough
experience playing against Pikachu, so I won’t answer it.
...
Okay, I will answer it, but just not very well! You need to stay aware of
exactly where Pikachu is in relation to you. You then have to anticipate what
the little motherfu-uh, moron is going to do. For example, if Pikachu is to
your side, anticipate its Forward, A/aerial. If it’s slightly above you and
to the side, anticipate its Down, A/aerial. If it’s a bit more above you, be
careful for its Thunder, which can catch you unawares (remember, you are not
nimble enough in the air to easily evade a well-timed/placed Thunder). Also
watch for a few unexpected moves, like a Spitball of electricity or a
Teleport as an evasive move. Whatever you do, stay on your feet and watch for
the electric drills and tail flips. YOUR best friends are your drills, as
these are almost as quick as Pika’s and are more powerful, so you should have
no problem with countering if you can execute the move in time. Don’t be
afraid to use or overuse your horizontal drill. Also, a few kicks and spins
here-and-there will deter a pesky Pika, and hopefully discourage them from
taking to the air.
Your specials are good too. A Stone or Swallow is risky because of the time
involved, but if you’re desperate or if you see Pikachu coming early, pull it
now and then to surprise Pika and keep him honest. Final Cutter will just
about counter anything Pika can throw at you – at least until you hit the
ground. So, if you’re feeling cornered, execute (at an early time –
anticipation is key) a Final Cutter and use the Blade as you go up as a
shield from any of Pika’s attacks. It goes without saying that good placement
and timing of the Final Cutter is vital.
Now, watch out for Pika’s specials. A good Pika player knows the importance
of the teleport and can do just about frickin’ anything with it. Trust me,
Pika can pull off amazing stunts, not only for recovery but also for evasion
or to lure you into a trap. Also, Pika’s little electricity balls/runners do
fair damage for a projectile and are quite versatile. Don’t get hit or else
you may well be left open. Finally, be careful of the Thunder. Remember that
Pika doesn’t necessarily have to be planted on the ground to execute it.
On land you have the advantage in combos (at least, I think you do). As with
most characters, take full advantage of any openings you find. The split kick
works great in deterring a Pika who’s trying to rush you. Pika’s downwards
and upwards smashes aren’t that powerful, but are quick and can juggle, so be
careful. Pika’s forward smash is quite powerful but slow in coming out. You
can block its forward smash quite easily, or counter it with a quick Split
Kick. A dash now and then is also good, since Pikachu isn’t particularly good
at blocking or countering on the ground. A dash ==> throw is effective, but
don’t do it too much because Pika is just as quick, if not quicker, on the R-
button as you.
Edge-guarding and/or spiking a good Pika is very hard. That teleport can send
Pika anywhere, from just onto the ledge to all the way inland. Try to
anticipate Pika’s landing, but don’t count on much success. Also, remember
that you CANNOT hit Pika out of its teleport; you have to wait till it’s
falling, and at the start of its fall it is still partially invincible.
Experts will limit their falling to as little as possible, so don’t count on
any bonus there. Conversely, Pikachu is not very good at edge-guarding/
spiking Kirby: while it gets great distance and agility in the air, it
doesn’t get much “hang time”, so to speak. Don’t look for any spikes, unless
a desperate Pika decides to try its Down, A/aerial on you. This can actually
be quite effective if you’re at high damage, as you get launched in one
direction, so anticipate and counter when necessary. Sometimes you can
Swallow an over-enthusiastic Pikachu. Now, Pikachu has a potentially
devastating edge-guard in its forward smash, which is almost as powerful as
Link’s. Thus, be careful in coming back and watch for the warning signs; Pika
takes a good while in executing the move, and you should be able to
block/counter. If in doubt, aim for the ledge.
In summary, when playing against Pika, it’s vital for you to stay on your
feet. Pika is more agile and quicker in most moves than you, so execute moves
extra-early and beware of surprise moves in the air. Try to keep Pika more-
or-less grounded, and be careful of the jump in downwards drill. Get Pika
into combos, drills, etc., and use your Final Cutter to act as an aerial
skill. Basically, you have to be very precise, and block/counter, then make
your move. There’s nothing much you can exploit here...it’s all up to your
skill in dodging attacks and then handing them out.
Good luck...you’ll need it.
=====
Samus
=====
That chick in the metallic suit is finally back on the N64, and she has
brought a good arsenal of moves with her. She has the blaster to act as a
long-range chipper or short-range shot; lots of quick, moderately strong
smashes to fight in close; and the screw attack, flamethrowers, and aerial
drill to mess you up in the air. However, Samus is a bit slow – not so much
in her moves but in her running/rolling/jumping – and you are much more agile
than her; you’ll want to take advantage of this.
Your specials work well here. Swallow is useful as Samus’s blaster is a nice
ability to have; Final Cutter is great against an advancing Samus, since
she’s not agile nor is she fast; and Stone works well in the air. If you see
Samus getting ready for a Screw attack or an upwards drill in the air,
quickly execute your Stone or, if time is tight, your downwards drill.
Samus’s specials aren’t that effective against Kirby. The exception is, of
course, her Screw attack, which works great in the air and is virtually
untouchable: it’s VERY hard to hit her out of it or even counter it, even if
you use a well-timed drill kick or even a Stone. So, be careful of her Screw
attack, especially in the air. However, her other two specials, the blaster
and the bombs, aren’t that useful. She may get a few little blasts off on
you, but if you see her charged up then obviously you’ll be on your guard.
Watch for the little delay as she lowers her blaster to shoot; you should
have ample time to block. Don’t dash if she’s charged up, unless you’re in
very close combat. Samus’s bombs aren’t that effective, as Kirby wouldn’t get
underneath her in most circumstances. Roll or Final Cutter should do the
trick.
On land, you should really exploit your comboing ability. Samus fits nicely
into most combos and sequences, so use/overuse your lunge kick, split kick,
flip/upwards kick, and throws. Remember, Samus has a good, tight roll, but it
is slow and you can predict where she’ll land. You can throw her from a roll,
or simply dash up. Be careful that she doesn’t counter-throw you as you’re
dashing, although if you dash quick enough she probably won’t be able to
react. However, her block ==> throw maneuver works well, so be careful.
She should be careful of Samus’s smashes too, but you have a decided
advantage on land. Her strong upwards kick and smash attack flamethrower are
powerful, but they have a fair bit of delay (especially the flamethrower) and
the flamethrower shouldn’t connect too much on Kirby. Just be careful while
jumping in; execute an early drill or Stone to block and/or counter. You can
also make a last-minute jump before you hit the ground; you’ll fly clear of
Samus’s flamethrower, and then have time to Stone (or if your reflexes aren’t
that quick, drill). Her downwards trip is perfect for getting you into an air
combo, but sometimes you will be able to recover quickly in the air. In any
case, the trip has a little delay and you should spot it. Samus’s forward
blaster smash is quite dangerous: it’s not extremely powerful but it’s quick.
If you do get hit, quickly roll backwards (in the direction you were launched
in) as soon as you hit the ground, lest Samus be chasing you. It’s a
dangerous move, so be very careful, and don’t get TOO close; always try to
have the upper hand by launching your lunge kick early. Samus probably won’t
be able to counter or block it.
Samus is quite good in the air though, so be very careful. Her moves have
great priority and range. My advice is NOT to take to the air too much, and
always retain a little breathing room. Your drill kick is not extremely
effective, because even if you time it right Samus will still sometimes be
able to counter or at least block it. Remember, her moves generally have
longer range and better priority than yours, so you won’t always win if you
match your downwards drill versus her upwards drill. The same goes for her
horizontal flamethrower versus your horizontal drill/kicks, and her screw
attack versus your Stone. Mind you, Stone actually works well, IF you can get
a little breathing room. If not, don’t try it; Samus can easily drill you out
of your Stone if you’re just starting the move, and in some cases she can
Screw you out of the early stages of the move. As with other good air
players, remember just to execute your drills and other moves early; jump and
fall quickly – don’t be a sitting duck; and don’t get too close. Especially,
watch out for her horizontal flamethrower and the screw attack; those two
moves have great priority and only your Stone can break them up, so either
Stone (if you’re lucky enough to be in a good position) or evade.
With edge guarding and spiking: be very careful of Samus’s abilities! First
of all, she’s got pretty good jumps in that they’re high and floaty, yet she
can quickly change direction for the second jump. Don’t get too relaxed; she
is quite a good jumper! Plus, she has two good moves: her Forward+A smash for
edge-guarding, and her Down, A/aerial for spiking.
Both these moves are quick and effective. Her Forward+A is one of the
quickest smashes in the game, and so a good Samus will have an easy time
knocking you out of your Final Cutter. You should aim to either fly past a
Samus who’s too close to the edge, or aim for the ledge. I advise the ledge,
but if you do, quickly jump off or roll onto the platform before your
momentary invincibility ceases. Samus’s downwards trip is great at knocking
off edge-hangers. One good way to counter the blaster smash is to execute
your Final Cutter just a bit early, then gently “push” Kirby onto the
platform while he’s momentarily stuck in that first animation (where he pulls
his sword out). If you get the timing right you can get Samus on the upwards
jump of the Cutter and that will negate whatever move she throws at you. If
she happens to execute the smash early, it may hit you, and it will if your
timing isn’t good, so it’s still risky.
Onto her spike...needless to say, it’s good. Even against Kirby, it’s an
instant kill. There’s no good way to block it or counter it once Samus gets
into position (you can do the upwards spin as it has fair priority, but that
takes a while in coming out and loses lots of air for you), so you should
start your horizontal drill or backwards kick (these work best) as you see
Samus coming. If she’s jumping towards you then it’s a fair bet that it’s to
spike, so you should anticipate it.
Conversely, edge-guarding and spiking Samus aren’t easy. Edge-guarding is the
easier of the two; if she aims for the ledge, you can try a split kick near
the ledge to knock her off right before she gets to the ledge; however, if
you get the timing wrong she’ll get to the ledge then climb back on with a
counter move. Just hope that she doesn’t get to the ledge or starts falling
after her Screw attack; a lunge or split kick will do then.
A clean spike isn’t easy. Near the arena, Samus will try a screw, which may
go through your drill; a bit further away (too far away for her to waste her
recovery move) she’ll use the Up, A/aerial. Both these moves have good
priority and length, so all you can do is not to hope for a “clean” spike,
but several spikes. You’ll get hit too, but you’re a better jumper and Samus
will die after two or three hits from the drill kick (even if you end up
taking most of the damage from her counters).
Overall, I suggest that you use your agility in rolling and throwing and your
great comboing to win. Samus is good in the air so don’t rely too much on
that avenue of attack; instead, just dash, throw, and try to get her into a
combo for a good deal of damage. When edge-guarding and spiking, keep at it
but be careful because Samus can easily return the favor; use Kirby’s great
air to your advantage. Just roll and dodge a great deal, get a few little
combos here and there, and hopefully you’ll win.
=====
Yoshi
=====
Now, Yoshi is one of those “unusual” characters whose moves and timing vary
somewhat from the rest, kind of like Ness. Thus, he’s a hard nut to crack –
not only because of his innate potential (which few players fully realize)
but also because you might not be familiar with his style. I don’t pretend to
be familiar with it either, so you’ll have to bear with me. Most of what I
write here is based on my experience with CPU Level 9’s, as unfortunately
none of my friends play with him. Still, the level 9’s are pretty good, so
hopefully my info is still relevant.
First, let’s start with the specials. Your Stone is somewhat effective in
that it’s one of the few moves that you possess that can consistently break
up Yoshi’s jump. Thus, don’t be afraid to pull a Stone or two if you see
Yoshi trying to recover. However, don’t use it too much because Yoshi can
easily Swallow or throw you out of it. Kirby’s Swallow move works well in the
air to gulp up an overenthusiastic Yoshi, but be sure to start it a bit early
since Yoshi’s Forward, A/aerial overhead smash comes down hard and fast.
Don’t start Swallow too early or use it too often, though, or else you’ll end
up being predicted and perhaps countered with an egg or other move. Finally,
the Final Cutter works well in disrupting Yoshi’s jump (although it doesn’t
always work) but can be countered by a good Yoshi (with a well-placed/timed
egg, for example). I advise you not to use the Final Cutter too much, as it
leaves you open, and as Yoshi’s weird jumping (and huge jumping
“invincibility”) makes him a hard target.
As for Yoshi’s specials, be very careful. The Swallow move is very effective
as it can easily take you out as you dash in for a throw. Also be on the
watch for a Butt Stomp here-and-there; there’s lots of delay, so you should
have no problem with reaction speed, but those two stars that are formed by
Yoshi’s drop are annoying. Not only do they do a miniscule amount of damage,
but they also stun you for a second, meaning that if you’re hit by the stars
then you’ll lose all chance of connecting on a combo. I advise that you roll
away from a Butt Stomp, and keep your shield up after the roll! This will
protect you from the stars. After a short moment of shield-stun you can then
execute a lunge kick, split kick, dash, etc.
On land, you can exploit your lunge and split kicks to some degree because
Yoshi’s forward smash is rather slow. Be careful with jump-ins, however, as
Yoshi’s upward smash is very powerful and covers a great arc and range, so
unless you time your attack right you’ll get hit. I’ve found that lunge kicks
combined with rolls and occasional quick dashes work well; while Yoshi can
counter with a downward attack/smash or Swallow, those attacks aren’t
especially powerful (the downward smash is, though, if you’ve got high
damage) and Yoshi doesn’t use them too much. As long as you’re not too
predictable (e.g. don’t start dashing from too far away) you should be
alright. A few throws here and there would be good too.
In the air you can try your best to somehow get Yoshi into a combo or
sequence of some sort, but it doesn’t really work. You can flip kick Yoshi
into the air and then repeat or follow it up with a drill, but that’s about
it. Yoshi has incredible priority in his jumps and while he’s in the upwards
arc for that second jump he’s basically invincible. You can Stone Yoshi out
of hit but that requires anticipation and good timing, and a good Yoshi
player probably won’t fall into that trap. Other aerial attacks such as kicks
or drills won’t break up Yoshi’s jump, and the drills won’t do much damage
since you can’t keep Yoshi from continuing on his jumping trajectory.
Thus, Yoshi is quite hard to get in the air, while you are relatively
vulnerable. Yoshi’s jumping is hard to predict and a good Yoshi player may
come in for the upwards tail sweep, or a painful forwards tomahawk, or that
hugely damaging feet of fury. These attacks all have equal or greater
priority than your corresponding moves, so be very careful! This is extremely
true in the case of the forwards tomahawk (forward, A/aerial), which is both
long, painful, and has great priority. A Swallow or Final Cutter can surprise
Yoshi, but not for long. Your best bet is either to try to karate/backwards
kick to counter, or Stone well beforehand to counter/evade. Be careful also
of Yoshi’s eggs, which will easily hit you out of Stone and any attacking
position you might be in. Remember, Yoshi’s eggs can go in a 90-degree arc
from where Yoshi is facing!
As fair as edge-guarding and spiking are concerned, neither is easy, but
edge-guarding is your best bet. Spiking is nearly impossible due to Yoshi’s
priority with the second jump, so don’t try it; a good Yoshi might just
tomahawk you to your doom. Your only hope is to wait at the ledge and hope
that you can disrupt Yoshi with the shockwave of your Final Cutter, or maybe
connect a lunge/split kick. For the two above strategies to work Yoshi must
be falling from the second jump – that’s the only time Yoshi is totally
vulnerable. If you see that Yoshi is still jumping strong as he’s coming
back, don’t bother trying to edge-guard; just stay back, maybe try for a
Final Cutter shockwave, and prepare for a quick dash or split kick to maybe
catch Yoshi off-guard.
Now, coming back against Yoshi can be unexpectedly hard. Yoshi’s jumping is
very risky (since he doesn’t have a functional third comeback move) so don’t
expect any spiking, although the forward tomahawk is a fine spiking implement
should a suicidal Yoshi want to try it. The main danger is with edge-
guarding: Yoshi has two powerful edge-guarding moves, the forward and upward
smash. Both take a while coming out, but the forwards move is powerful and
will basically spell curtains for you, while the upwards move is also strong
and covers a wide arc, and can easily set up a combo or kill you at high
damage. Both these moves have high-priority, so be careful, and as usual, aim
for the ledge. Yoshi’s downwards tail flip is deadly too, as it sends you on
a horizontal trajectory, but that’s not commonly used due to its average
priority and range.
Overall, Yoshi is a bit of a tough match up. If you’re used to playing such
orthodox characters like Link, Mario, Samus, or even Pika, then you’ll have a
hard time adjusting to Yoshi’s jumping ability and great priority. Don’t
forget about Yoshi’s specials, especially the egg throw and egg drop
(Swallow). These are quite underrated and the egg throw is hell on your
aerial offense. If you can predict Yoshi, then it’s just a matter of time
before you can get in a good throw or lunge/split kick and then perhaps get
on a roll. Remember, Yoshi isn’t as nimble nor is he as fast as you, so abuse
your dashing speed, throwing speed, and rolling! Roll everywhere, and Yoshi
will have to rely on moves such as the downwards tail flip (Down+A), which
most players aren’t used to relying on. Don’t get hit by the forwards and
upwards smash attacks, and keep moving, and you’ll have the big speed
advantage. Once you get Yoshi into a combo, you’ve got a good chance of
racking up the damage, so play hit’n’run and make sure to hit hard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
12. Tips & Tricks
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
- EDGE-GUARD! If you see someone in the air trying to make it back onto land,
go to the edge and wait until they are almost on land. Then, BAM! Unleash a
smash attack on them (for Kirby the best choices would probably be Forward+A
or Down+A) and make sure that they never come back, edge-guarding repeatedly
if necessary, and not stopping till they fall to their doom (or hit you over
the head with their controller). Be careful when edge-guarding, since
experienced players controlling characters with high-priority recovery moves
(like Samus’s Screw Attack or Captain Falcon’s Falcon Grab) may be able to
override your edge guard move and hit you instead. Still, edge guarding is
NOT cheap; it is not only effective and smart, but a vital part of the game.
You can also “steal” KOs by jumping after someone who’s been knocked off the
stage by another player, and spiking the person who’s been knocked off
(before he can be edge-guarded by his original attacker), getting a cheap,
free kill and infuriating the original attacker since the hard-earned KO
should’ve been his!
- Spike! A type of edge-guarding move, except that spiking occurs over the
abyss and not over land, with the spike sending the opponent down to their
doom. Most characters have a spike, which is usually their aerial Down, A,
but which can also be their aerial Forward, A. In Kirby’s case, his Drill
Kick (Down, A/aerial) serves as his spike. To spike someone, jump off the
edge after them, execute your spike on them, and then jump back onto the
edge. Usually, a player who’s been spiked won’t be able to get back up on
land. Kirby is probably the best spiker out of all the SSB characters, in
part because of his many jumps and great spike (it only takes one hit from
his multi-hit drill kick to spike a player). Kirby’s only weakness is that a
character with good priority may execute an aerial move that nullifies the
spike and may sometimes even hit Kirby! However, as long as you spike from
above, and not from the side, this shouldn’t be much of an issue. Spiking is
one of Kirby’s strengths; capitalise on it!
- Know Kirby's style! Like I said, Kirby is meant to be an offensive
character. Even though Kirby has a wonderful form of blocking (the Stone),
you should still play aggressively, since Kirby is a good combo-er and his
moves can do a lot of damage. However, do not play TOO aggressively or else
you may well get knocked off early. If you want a defensive character, then
you may want to try using another character instead. (Samus, anyone?)
- Do not overuse Kirby's shield – it is one of the smallest ones in the game.
If you don’t want to get your shield broken, you can use Stone to act as a
shield to everything except the Hammer and throws. Use this only in
desperation or against computer opponents, as a crafty human will just throw
you out of Stone.
- Roll. Kirby has a great, quick, tight roll that is extremely useful in
getting out of sticky situations (which will occur often if you play multiple
human/computer opponents). Because it is so fast, and since Kirby is
invincible during most of the roll, you’ll almost never be hit out of a roll
(unless someone launches a projectile at you). Also, since Kirby’s roll is so
fast, most players won’t be able to respond quickly enough to prepare a
counterattack (for example, they probably won’t be quick enough to run over
to you and throw you when you block as you’re coming out of the roll). Hold Z
when you come out of the roll to put your shield up.
- Press Z to recover quickly if you’ve been knocked to the ground. This is
*very* useful as you won’t be left lying on the ground, vulnerable to
attacks. Plus, it’s good for surprising opponents and getting back into the
action faster. Remember to hold Z for a bit so your shield is up when you get
up off the ground; shield and roll away from any attacks your opponent
launches as you get off the ground. Be wary of throws.
You can also tap Z as you land from a hard aerial attack (it’s very obvious
what I mean if you play as Link, but perhaps not so obvious with Kirby) to
recover instantly instead of having recovery time.
- Use items well. This can mean using them as bait or throwing them, as well
as simply keeping them on hand. Know when to throw them and when to use them;
make sure you utilize their full potential. For example, if you have a Motion
Sensor Bomb, put it against a wall – it is virtually invisible there, and
will give someone a nasty little (or big) surprise!
- Use throws a lot, especially against turtle players who block all of your
attacks (throws are unblockable). Kirby has a pretty fast dash and a quick
throw, so it’s good to have an itchy R-button.
- Use Kirby's regular throw (R, then R again) to get to a higher platform, if
needed. This can also make it easier to kill an opponent with that throw,
since from a higher platform they’ll also be launched higher and go closer to
the vertical boundary.
- You may already know this from other games, but tapping down when you’re on
a platform will make you drop off that platform. Also, tapping down in the
air will make you fall faster. This can actually have a practical purpose
other than speeding you up. For instance, if you’re in the air and your
opponent expects you to fall down slowly and execute an attack, tap down to
fall faster, surprising your opponent.
- Suicide, if need be (I’m talking about in the game, folks). By suiciding,
and taking down another player with you, you can do yourself a world of good.
For example, let’s say you’re playing a Stock match. You and your opponent
have the same number of lives, but you have 150% damage while your opponent
has 20% damage. Suicide! You’re gonna die pretty soon anyway, so why not take
your opponent (who should be able to last a while longer) with you! Kirby has
two suicide moves that can take the other person down, too:
1. Fly over the edge while your opponent is standing near the edge.
Use Swallow to suck your opponent in with you, and both of you will
fall to your doom. If you have only used one or two of your jumps,
spit your opponent out while the two of you are going down; Kirby
may be able to fly back up onto land, but your opponent probably
won’t be able to. If you’re a good jumper, you can even spit your
opponent out, spike him, and (perhaps) make it back up to the stage!
2. Use Kirby’s primary throw (R, then R again) while you and your
opponent are really close to the edge, and facing away from the
stage towards the abyss. Believe it or not, the throw actually has a
tiny bit of horizontal range, so if you’re close enough to the edge
when you execute the throw, you’ll come down... straight into the
abyss. A very cool way to let it all go.
- This is the funny Yoshi’s Island trick that I was talking about. Basically,
you get a person very, VERY pissed at you while you are on the second cloud
on the right (the one farthest from the arena). Actually, you can do this
trick on any cloud, but the farthest cloud works best.
Anyway, for this trick, absorb a cheap power (Mario’s fireball, Pika’s
electricity thing, etc.) and continuously use it while you’re on the cloud.
Sometimes, the projectile won’t even make it to the stage, but it will still
annoy your opponent(s). Or, if you can’t absorb an annoying power, just taunt
on the cloud. Remember that you have to be constantly jumping up and down, or
else the cloud will disappear under your feet, and you don’t want that to
happen... yet. So, just jump and throw projectiles, or taunt, jump, taunt,
jump, and so on.
Try to get one of your opponents to come towards you; if they are reluctant,
a little goading, teasing, and boasting on your part will make up their
minds. As they leave the platform, instead of jumping up and down, *stay* on
the cloud. You want the three seconds that the cloud is present to run out
right when your opponent is getting ready to land on the cloud and attack
you. This requires good timing. When this happens, you’ll be ready, and you
can use your jumps to get onto the main platform or the first cloud. However,
your opponent will probably have used most or all of his jumps as he’s coming
over to pummel you, so he’ll be planning his attack on you when, suddenly...
poof! The cloud disappears. Unless they are a very flighty character, or
they’re very lucky, they won’t be prepared enough to make it back on.
- The above trick too long? Just throw a proxy mine on a cloud, and watch the
fireworks.
- Dream Land and Congo Jungle are small enough arenas for Kirby to actually
fly under and come up on the other side. I’ve found that Dream Land is
probably the easier to do this in, since it seems to be smaller. Nonetheless,
it’s a hard feat and requires good timing and concentration. To do it, you
have to face *away* from the edge of the arena, jump backwards and off the
arena, and use your five other jumps to move yourself horizontally under the
arena (use your next jump only when you’re starting to drop below the
vertical level of the last jump; you want to stay at a constant height
slightly below the arena). Then, use your Final Cutter to get back up onto
the other side once you’ve made it to the other edge of the arena. It’s good
for a surprise, and if you can do this you’re pretty good at jumping. Note:
the only other character that can do this is Pikachu, using his double-
agility (many people say he has a short, third agility, although I’m not sure
I’ve seen this myself. Thanks to Guang Liu for this tidbit). By the way, you
can “cheat” in Congo Jungle since you can jump through the bottom of the
arena.
- Feeling cruel? Note that the acid in Planet Zebes and the tornado in Hyrule
Castle both send the unfortunate player upwards. So, when you see a person
falling into the acid, or spinning around in the tornado, get above them and
Stone them, or, even better, drill kick them... right back into the
acid/tornado. This is basically spiking over the acid/ground. Similarly, if
someone gets into the barrel in DK’s stage, follow the barrel around as best
as you can. Then, when they launch themselves upwards, execute your Split
Kick (Down+A – I’ve found that this works best in that situation) and they’ll
be sent flying. Just be careful that they don’t hit and damage you as they
are being launched upwards.
- If someone is really annoying you because they keep using Link/Samus/
Yoshi’s long-range throw, then dash towards them. They will see it coming and
try to throw you. However, at the last minute, jump up, away from the
clutches of their throw. While they’re still in their throwing animation,
stone or downward drill-kick them. This’ll make them think twice about using
those (IMHO) horrible, slow, throws.
- Guang Liu adds a tip: “If you are knocked out so far and know that you
can't get back, don't use the final cutter [author’s note: I think he means
swallow, not final cutter]. (Some people like to go after you even though they
know that you can't make it back just for the fun of it and knock you even
more before you die). Instead, wait until they come near you and before they
make their move, use the final cutter. If you timed it right, you will bring
them up and then down with you. That is a better way to commit suicide since
you can be sure that they will go down FIRST! For example, you and your
opponent have only one stock left, you are at 124% and your opponent 67%, and
you know that you may not beat them. So just do what I did because the final
cutter pushes the opponent down faster than the rate you fall, your opponent
will die first and you can get the win. (Unlike where you suck them up into
your mouth and die together at the exact same time and you'll have to count
the total KO's in order to decide the victor).”
Actually, if you suck them into your mouth I think you (Kirby) die first, so
there’s another reason to use the Final Cutter.
- Platinum Kirby adds a trick: “Have you ever noticed that if you hit your
enemy with a hard attack, like Giant Punch with Donkey, you see circles and
rare things? Well, go to training mode, choose Ness and Falcon as your
oponnent, stay in front of falcon, press start to see the menu, go to item and
choose red shell, and press A four times to obtain four shells. Exit the menu
and quickly push Falcon to the shells, stop when you see that falcon is
exactly over the shells, then, walk away from him just a little, and do the
forward smash attack to hit him with your baseball bat. If done correctly, you
will see a lot of that circles and rare things all over the screen, and your
oponnent will receive 999% damage, hehe...”
Note that you do not have to use Falcon as your “opponent”. You can also use
Fox’s reflector shield in place of Ness’s bat (and maybe some other attacks as
well, although I’ve never tried).
- Another trick (this one’s quite odd, but cool anyways) from Platinum Kirby:
“With Mario, Donkey Kong, Falcon, Yoshi, Ness, Jiggly and Pikachu, you can
listen to the sound of your taunt when your character is not doing its taunt.
How? Well, you can do this trick in all the arenas, but you’ll get better
results if you practice in Fox’s arena. As you know, this scene only has three
places to climb, the right side, the left side and the other that is above the
red horse symbol. Well, when starting to run, and when you’re about to fall to
the right side of the spaceship, press L just before you fall, that means when
you´re still on the left side of the ship, but going to fall to the other.
That was difficult to explain for me but I hope you’ll understand; if done
correctly you will hear the sound of the Taunt but your character won’t do the
move that normally it does, then, you can taunt your opponents without losing
time and with[out] danger.”
- Well, this only works on computers, but anyway: with small characters (like
Jigglypuff or Kirby) you can walk into a CPU while it's holding a barrel above
its head (those retards, they do it all the time, I'm afraid). Anyway, if you
do walk right into them, they won't do anything, cause they'll be muddled as
to how they can hit you with the crate/barrel. Pathetic, no? Give 'em a flip
kick to teach them a lesson. Or, execute any other attack to start a combo -
the CPU is totally defenseless. (Note: the barrel may fall on you or explode
when you attack it if you're not careful, though.)
- The Net Nomad sez: “You know how Yoshi can sometimes make people into eggs
and then have them fall helplessly off the platform? It's kinda hard to do,
of course (however, the Yoshis in the one-player game have some strange
ability to do it to you often). Kirby also has a "chicken" move, which can,
like many other things in this game, seriously annoy somebody. But his can be
easier. First, stand at the side of a platform (only in stages with a big
"floating platform" like Dream Land or Sector Z) and jump off. Then, if an
opponent is standing there or has been chasing you there, suck them up and
let them fall with you - kinda like the suicide move. As soon as you're at
the level where you can spit out your opponent and have them end up under the
platform, do so. Unless they're certain characters like Kirby himself,
Pikachu, and maybe a couple others, they're helpless. Then, just use the rest
of your jumps and Final Cutter if need be to get back on the platform. I've
found this one helpful in the Metal Mario stage.”
Well, those are all the tips and tricks I could think of. Feel free to send
me more tips and tricks, as long as they’re good and *useful*!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
13. Combos
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These can all be used against humans, not just computers; in some cases, they
may work better against humans. You won’t see any combos that require
ridiculous amounts of chance and/or stupidity on the part of the opponent to
pull off. Damage figures are for the typical range of damage inflicted by the
move(s) in the particular situation. Anyway, the combos:
=============================================================================
~ Drill Kick (Down, A/air) Combo
Use the downward Drill Kick in the air, and then repeat on the ground.
Damage: 21-30 in the air; 9-15 for each ground combo.
=============================================================================
~ The... other... Drill Kick (Forward, A/air) Combo
Same as the Drill Kick Combo, only use your aerial Forward, A move to start
the combo instead of your drill kick.
Damage: 12-21 in the air; 9-15 for each ground combo.
=============================================================================
~ Kirby's Infinite Combo
Keep tapping A after cornering someone against a wall (works well in Great
Fox and Hyrule Castle). This is about as cheap a tactic as you’ll find in
this FAQ, and most experts will find a way out of it; but, you never know
when you’ll need it. If you can start this, you can usually get 20% + damage;
just watch your back!
Damage: 1/hit.
=============================================================================
~ Lunge Kick (Forward+A) Combo
This only works with characters with low damage (they are the only ones who
only go a short distance when kicked, thus enabling you to continue the combo
by executing another move that hits them on their “bounce”). This combo will
only work up to about 50 to 60% damage; after this, the opponent will be
launched too far and will be able to roll away from your attacks.
Damage: 17 for the first hit, 7 for each thereafter.
=============================================================================
~ Flip Kick (Up+A) Combo
Just keep on using your Flip Kick. It's quite tricky to get the timing right,
and after your enemy has passed 50% damage they will be sent high enough to
easily escape the combo; however, it makes for a good combo if you can catch
someone with low damage. Also, once you start the combo, it’s almost
impossible for the opponent to get out of it until they have been sent high
enough that they can fall away. They probably won’t be quick enough to hit
you (for example, with an aerial Down, A move) while you are executing the
combo unless they have high damage; if it looks like they’re going to try and
hit you from above, roll and counter instead. Odds are that their downward
move will go through your flip kick, so don’t try and hit them through the
move.
Damage: 16 for the first hit, 6 for each one thereafter.
=============================================================================
~ The Vertical Kick (Up, A) Combo
Thanks to Pokeytax for mentioning this one. I usually don’t use this much,
but it is a very good combo. As your opponent is coming down from the air,
get under them and execute a vertical kick. You’ll need good timing, though,
since the vertical kick’s priority isn’t the best in the world. Once you’ve
hit the opponent, keep hitting. You’ll usually get several hits in before the
opponent can get enough breathing room to jump away. It’s also easy to
incorporate Flip Kicks into this combo; you can also jump up and execute a
drill kick on your opponent while they’re still “stunned” by your vertical
kick. Be creative.
Damage: 14 for the first hit, 11 for the second, and either 6 or 11 for each
hit thereafter (depending on how closely together your hits are linked).
=============================================================================
~ The Mighty Great Fox Combo
OK, this takes a bit of practice: isolate your opponent so that no one else
will bother you. Start fighting on the tail of Great Fox. Ideally, your
opponent should have around 60% damage, depending on the character. Now, hit
them with Kirby's Lunge Kick. This is the hardest part of the combo - finding
an opening.
When you hit them with the smash attack, you should be standing about 1/3 of
the tail-length from the end of the tail (i.e. the right side of the tail;
the edge of the arena). It's hard to say, in measurements, exactly where, but
it comes with practice. If you smash attack them, and you're in the right
place, they should be hit down and right by the tail, right into you.
Now, do another Lunge Kick, and again, you want them to bounce very slightly
ahead of you, or even fly a bit over your head. When they do, do a Lunge Kick
going right, or _away_ from the tail. Sometimes, if you time it wrong, the
opponent will actually be hit right, but if you execute it correctly, they'll
be hit left by your smash attack. Wait for the bounce and hit them with
another smash attack going left this time, and then after that bounce a smash
attack going right, and so on. So the whole time your position should be
roughly stationary, but smashing leftwards and rightwards, alternately. Your
opponent should be hit left, into the tail, each time, and what's good about
this combo is that, if you have good timing and don't screw up, you can keep
them in the air -- they'll never touch the ground.
Trust me - this is a good, albeit hard to understand, combo. I usually get
the opponent from around 60% to 100-120% damage, or more (to 140% + damage is
not too hard) and once you get the opponent to that level, pause a little, and
smash them right, this time making them actually go right, off the arena.
Damage: usually around 35-50; 60-80+ is possible if you're lucky.
=============================================================================
~ Impsrage has a good combo:
“Use Kirbys Down-B attack on someone standing, land (this is important so you
are not using the multi jump - it screws it up but I don’t know why exactly)
jump once, and repeat. After your opponent has taken some damage (I think
about 80%) they'll bounce up a little. Use the drill and this time use the Up-
A attack instead of jumping, which will usually send them flying off the
arena!
The hard part may be getting your opponent not to roll away from your
incessant Stoning.
Damage: Maybe around 100%, but it doesn’t always work against humans.
=============================================================================
~ Lupus 57 also mentions a useful combo:
“Up+A them into the air and final cutter them when they are still airborne.”
I use that a fair bit, actually, especially near the edge. I don’t know how I
missed that one.
Damage: Only around 15-25%, but it’s good for spikes with the Final Cutter.
It’s also a good basic, all-situation combo.
=============================================================================
~ Platinum Kirby adds a good combo:
“When you are playing against heavy characters like C. Falcon, Link, or Yoshi,
you can do this combo: do a little jump and when you are falling down in the
air, get close to your enemy. When you are going to land, press Back+A in the
air to do a kick, then, press Up+A to do a vertical kick, then your enemy is
falling down towards you, quickly do the Up+A smash attack to send your
opponent to the sky again. Because it is too heavy, it can’t attack you so
quickly; that gives you time to kick him again with another vertical kick.
Then, jump and press Forward+A to do a drill kick, that should be the end of
this combo but if your speed with Kirby is good, you can land, run and hit one
more time (You should try jumping with the A button only, to do a weak kick,
anyway one more hit and some more damage.) Your enemy may receive over 80%,
but I have to say one thing: I suppose that you already know that if you’re
coming down and do a mid-air attack, your character normally can’t do it
another attack immediately; well, if you press the Z button just before you
land, you will be able to do any attack.”
Damage: 80% or more, if all your hits, drills, etc. connect properly. If not,
the damage may be a bit less.
=============================================================================
~ Here’s another good combo from Platinum Kirby:
“For weak opponents like Mario, Luigi or even Ness: You have to do the first
and second moves that I have written above, but, you have to continue with
this: after the vertical kick, do a very little jump and immediately press the
A button, this should hit your opponent as any attack, but, rarely, it won’t
be very effective and your enemy is not going to go so far, then, land as
quick as you can, and do another vertical kick, jump again doing the first
move you’ve done at the beginning of the combo, but, like the third attack,
you have to jump and press the control stick and a button at the same time,
this will give you the same effect: your opponent won’t be kicked as it
normally is, and if done correctly it is going to go forward, and very near to
you; then, just press B to swallow your opponent.”
When Platinum Kirby says, “your opponent won’t be kicked as it normally is”,
what I think he means is that you can’t hit the opponent with the very start
of the Karate Kick, or else your opponent will be hit too far; instead, you
have to press A quickly to execute the Karate Kick earlier than usual and hit
your opponent with only the trailing part of your move (when your foot is
still sticking out).
This combo is hard to pull off, but it is a pretty cool one.
Damage: High!
=============================================================================
Keep the combos a-coming! Any good, *useful* combo is appreciated. Nothing
that requires extreme luck or stupidity, though!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
14. Contact Info
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry, this FAQ is no longer being maintained. Thanks for all the
contributions over the years.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
15. Credits
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many thanks to the readers who sent in their words of wisdom:
+Pokeytax (embree@sega.net), for mentioning a useful combo that I’d ignored;
+Ken Lawler (Lawler14@sluggy.net), for several great contributions;
+Impsrage (Impsrage@aol.com), for submitting a stage tip and a combo;
+Lupus57 (supercow_57@hotmail.com), for submitting a couple of combos;
+Guang Liu (guangliu@hotmail.com), for a correction about Pikachu’s agility
and an addition to the Tips and Tricks;
+Platinum Kirby (platinum_kirby@hotmail.com) for several combos and tricks;
+Van Beethoven (vanbeethoven8@hotmail.com) for a tip on Electrode;
+The Net Nomad (Jwall0312@aol.com) for a helpful trick involving Swallow; and
+The Deathblade (deathbladegtx@yahoo.com) for some corrections on the Saffron
City Pokemon.